Long hitters have slight edge at Summit Point

Typhoon ‘Rosita’s’ rains are expected to soften Summit Point’s fairways and greens, making the course play longer than its listed 7,107 yards.

That gives the long-hitters on the Philippine Golf Tour Asia an advantage in what is expected to be a battle in shotmaking when the $100,000 Summit Point World 18 Challenge tees off on Wednesday in Lipa, Batangas.

It could also be a test of mental toughness as the men of the tour battle it out in wet and windy conditions at the layout designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr.

But merely hammering the long ball won’t cut it out for golfers eyeing a lion’s share of the pot. Putting could play a key role in the final day.

Clyde Mondilla strung up a 17-under 271 card at Summit Point to dominate the closing event of last year’s PGT that also served as his coronation as Order of Merit champion.

But given the current playing conditions, the same kind of scoring is unlikely to be matched despite the field all coming into the event in top form following a series of tournaments.

James Ryan Lam, for one, is brimming with confidence coming into the event, having snapped a decade-long search for a breakthrough with a victory in last week’s PGTA CAT Open, where he outclassed the elite field at the tight, hazard-laden Luisita layout with a superb short game and exceptional putting.

But at Summit Point, power will always have an edge in its sloping fairways.

American Josh Salah, who rallied to finish second to Lam last week, is also listed among the favorites along with the likes of Jobim Carlos, Ira Alido, Jhonnel Ababa, Elmer Salvador, Seung Jae Maeng of the United States, Charles Hong, Justin Quiban and Tarik Can, also of the United States.