Manila Masters’ P3.5-M cash pot lures top pros

MANILA, Philippines –With the country’s best seeing action, it will be a wide-open race in the P3.5 million ICTSI Manila Masters that gets going on Tuesday next week at the up-and-down Eastridge course in Binangonan, Rizal.

All the winners of the local tour’s previous seven legs, led by Antonio Lascuña and the fancied Angelo Que and Miguel Tabuena, have all confirmed participation in the 72-hole championship that stakes a winner’s purse of P650,000.

Former Philippine Open champion Elmer Salvador and Rufino Bayron, the winners of two international legs of the Asian Development Tour recently, will be out to take the momentum of those triumphs to the rolling Eastridge layout.

Bayron won his first tournament as a pro last week at The Orchard, blowing the field away with a record-setting 10-under-par 62 in the second round before wrapping it all up with a four-shot win.

He will obviously be one of the men to watch in the event that will also have a sprinkling of foreigners seeing action.

Charles Hong, the Cebuano ace who won the Sherwood leg, is also entered together with Camp John Hay winner Joenard Rates.

Que and Tabuena, who like Lascuña are the most exposed internationally, are shooting for their first victories this year.

Even without the benefit of rigid training because of the birth of his first son, Que remains a favorite, owing to his length and fine touch around the greens.

Three-leg winner Lascuña will be taking his sharp form into the tournament after finishing in the Top 10 of the Queen’s Cup in Thailand last week.

“No one holds an advantage at Eastridge,” Lascuña said in Filipino.

The event’s backers are Nike Golf, Pacsports, Srixon, Callaway, Mizuno, Empire Golf, Footjoy, Titleist, Custom Clubmakers, Sharp and KZG with Balls, ABS-CBN Sports+Action and Inquirer Golf as media partners.