Match play championships up at Villamor

Antonio Lascuña: Second seed —CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

After holding two tours after a long stoppage caused by the pandemic, the Philippine Golf Tour (PGT) will hold match play championships for the men and ladies of the circuit to wrap up what has been a great season on Nov. 15 at tree-lined Villamor in Pasay City.

To be known as the ICTSI Villamor Match Play Invitational, the four-day event will have the top 32 money earners from the PGT and the top 16 in the Order of Merit of the LPGT competing over a layout that continues to be one of the most challenging in the land despite being relatively short.

This event will take the place of the North vs South tournament that usually puts a cap on the season, and it will dangle a handsome purse with the champions going home with P280,000 each.

Dutchman Guido Van Der Valk and the veteran Antonio Lascuña will be ranked 1-2 in men’s play, while Chihiro Ikeda will be No. 1 in the women’s side and will take on the 16th-seeded player in the first round.

The titles will be disputed on Friday, Nov. 18, with the men to play the quarterfinals and the semifinals on Thursday.

Former Philippine Open champions Frankie Miñoza, Angelo Que, Gerald Rosales and Miguel Tabuena have also been invited, together with Jessie Balasabas, who won the last PGT event held at Villamor, the PH Masters in 2018. Any player not competing will be replaced in order of the ranking on the cut-off date. INQ