Luisita provides pro golfers free Open lodging

TARLAC—Aside from helping save the Philippine Open, Luisita and its owners have literally opened its doors to Filipino pros in order to defray the cost of their participation in the Asian Tour’s final event of the year.

The club, still one of the country’s most exclusive, turned two of its function rooms into virtual hotels for the local players. Not one of 40 people bunked there for the duration of the tournament will spend a single centavo.

“We knew that playing in this event won’t come cheap for some of our pros,” Jeric Hechanova, who is in charge of marketing of Luisita, told the Inquirer while watching some first-round action yesterday.

“We hope that our club’s simple gesture goes a long way for our pros,” he went on.

With sponsors shy away from the Open last August, the 98th edition of Asia’s oldest national championship was supposed to be an all-Filipino edition.

Luisita played a huge part in making this one an international event with its new owners, led by restaurateur Martin Lorenzo, and ICTSI president and golf patron Ricky Razon coming up with the required $300,000 purse.

The Open has a very gracious host, but once this is over on Sunday, the event would need to find a new home.

“We’re just doing it for this year,” Hechanova said. “We are looking at hosting other international events (next year), aside from the local ICTSI leg.”