ICTSI Tour Wack Wack leg pro-am under way

The 81-player-strong ICTSI Wack Wack Championship field braces for what could be its toughest challenge in a season-long campaign on the ICTSI Philippine Golf Tour (PGT) as it tackles the fabled East course in the P2.5-million event firing off Wednesday.

With its tricky, narrow layout made more exacting by a longer yardage and sleek putting surface, the par-72 course is expected to bring out the best—or the worst—from the star-studded field chasing the top purse of P450,000 in the final leg of this year’s circuit.

Jay Bayron, the reigning ICTSI PGT Order of Merit champion, returns on a course where he finished second in the Philippine Open last May.

He will be up against a field that includes the best—except for one—in the land, including Angelo Que, Frankie Miñoza, Jonel Ababa, Artemio Murakami, Elmer Salvador, Tony Lascuña, Mars Pucay, Gerald Rosales, Mark Fernando and teener Miguel Tabuena.

“It will be tough, but I’m looking forward to playing well and closing out the season with a victory,” said Bayron, who also won the season-ending leg of the Pilipinas Golf Tournament Inc.-organized circuit at Canlubang last year to beat Juvic Pagunsan for the Order of Merit crown.

The field gets to test the course in Tuesday’s traditional pro-am tournament which features the leading pros and officials and guests of the event’s chief backers, including International Container Terminal Services Inc., MJ Carr Golf Management Inc., Srixon, Callaway, Unilab, BDO, Titleist, Sharp, Custom Clubmakers, Mizuno, PinoyGolfer.com, Inquirer Golf, Omnisource International, A Round of Golf, Studio 23, Balls, and Dynamic Sports.

Pagunsan, winner of four legs this year, won’t be around following his suspension for walking out of the ICTSI-Aboitiz Invitational last September in Cebu.