AFTER missing the cut last week against basically the same field, Charles Hong opens defense of his ICTSI Sherwood Hills Classic title starting today at the ravine-laden, wind-swept layout in Cavite.
Hong missed the cut at nearby Eagle Ridge by one, but that failure hasn’t fazed the creative shotmaker, who will shoot for a repeat in the P3.5 million event against another foreign-flavored field.
“The missed cut doesn’t bother me that much, everyone misses cuts,” Hong said.
Arie Irawan of Malaysia, who won the Eagle Ridge stop, will not be around to shoot for a second straight title, but formidable bets coming from Taiwan like Hsieh Chi-hsien, Malaysian Wilson Choo and Panuwat Muenlek of Thailand are entered. The trio has won a leg of the Asean Development Tour this season.
Some of the local stars will also not be around with commitments to play overseas.
Elmer Salvador, the former Aboitiz leg champion, and the legendary Frankie Miñoza are the top local bets together with Hong.
Salvador, who won an all-Filipino Philippine Open in 2009 at Mount Malarayat, has been knocking on the door of a first win for the season. Musong R. Castillo