Gen Nagai, a Japanese who calls Cebu home, and Lois Kaye Go open their respective bids for repeats on Tuesday when the National Stroke Play Championship gets off the ground at the tough-as-nails Langer layout of The Riviera in Silang, Cavite.
Nagai, who nipped Thai Youth Olympics gold medalist Vanchai Luangnitikul in sudden death to clinch the men’s diadem last year, knows that he is in for a tough week with the tournament drawing the finest names in the country and a sprinkling of foreign talent.
Aidric Chan, the reigning Junior World champion, is also entered in the men’s division like Gab Manotoc, Carl Corpus and half of the recent National Doubles champion Ryan Monsalve.
Go will be shooting to win individually for the first time since last year, when she turned back the talented Bianca Pagdanganan and Thai ace Atthaya Thitikul.