HOMEGROWN hopes get one last chance to prevail on local soil when the Asian Development Tour’s $60,000 Sherwood Hills Classic tees off tomorrow in Trece Martires, Cavite.
Gavin Green of Malaysia won the Manila Southwoods stop in come-from-behind style last Saturday, shutting out the Filipinos.
Arie Irawan of Malaysia and Ittiphat Buratanyarat of Thailand ruled the Eagle Ridge and Sherwood stops, respectively, in last year’s ADT series.
Miguel Tabuena, Angelo Que and another top gun, Juvic Pagunsan, are campaigning in Japan, leaving local chances in the hands of the veteran Antonio Lascuña and a couple of rookies who played very well in the last two legs of the tour.
Justin Quiban and Jobim Carlos contended for the Luisita Championship and the Southwoods leg, respectively, and both have vast knowledge of the wind-swept layout.
Green will also be playing in Japan this week, but that doesn’t mean that the foreign challenge has become weaker.
American John Michael O’Toole, who set a course-record 10-under-par 61 in the second round at Southwoods, is entered together with Dollaphatchai Niyomchon and Koh Deng Sang of Singapore, who tied for second behind Green.
“We should have the advantage,” Lascuña said in Filipino, referring to their familiarity with the course.