Open Season

STA. ROSA, Laguna—Already faced with a talented foreign roster, the country’s top golfers will have to contend with a well-armed The Country Club when the Solaire Philippine Open tees off Thursday here.

The tournament stakes $400,000 in total purse and it seems like the best golfing pros of the country will have to work very hard to earn a piece of it.

“It’s quite difficult to win this tournament in under-par,” said defending champion Miguel Tabuena. “The course is notorious for its strong wind, so I think a 10-over would be the winning score. But it would really depend on the condition in the next four days.”

Tabuena ruled the 2015 staging of this event—the last Open before this year’s edition—in a rain-cut tournament at Luisita in Tarlac. But the depth of the field has put the Rio de Janeiro Olympian on his toes.

Angelo Que, riding into the tournament on a wave of a nine-stroke victory in the Anvaya Cove Invitational recently, looms as the top local threat. Also lurking in the field is Antonio Lascuña, the Order of Merit leader.

The legendary Frankie Miñoza, also a past Philippine Open champ, could shoot himself into the mix of contenders.

Among the foreigners trying to wrest the trophy are former Open champions Mardan Mamat of Singapore and Marcus Both of Australia.

“I respect this course so much and I don’t believe those who say that they can win here in under-par,” said Que.

“I think, a four- to eight-over total will win it. It’s a tough course and it will take a lot of patience to win here,” said Lascuña, who is looking to win his first Open crown.

Japanese Toru Nakajima is also expected to figure in the chase for the top $72,000 purse for good reason: He did have one solid round during the Razon Invitational to prove he has what it takes to tame TCC’s test.

The tournament is backed by title sponsor Solaire Resort and Casino in cooperation with Meralco and PLDT. It is also supported by Pioneer Insurance, Lexus, BDO, Sharp, Custom Clubmaker, KZG, Empire Golf and Titleist.

Former Asian Development Tour-Philippine Golf Tour winners Thai Itthipat Buranatanyarat, Malaysian Arie Irawan and Swede Oscar Zetterwall are also in the roster.

Four amateurs from the National Golf Association of the Philippines are also teeing off: Wei Wei Gao, Paolo Wong, Ryan Monsalve and Nikolo Gatmaytan.