BACOLOD CITY, Negros Occidental, Philippines — Keep the driver in the bag.
That’s basically the plan of most of the big guns when the P1 million ICTSI-Negros Occidental Challenge starts on Wednesday at the short, but tight Negros Occidental Golf and Country Club layout here.
“I’ll keep my driver in the bag for majority of the rounds,” long-hitting Asian Tour veteran Mars Pucay told the Philippine Daily Inquirer. “I think conservative play will come into fore. No use taking too much risk in a course like this.”
Although the pros won’t be bombing it off the tees often, scoring is expected to be low because of ideal conditions on the tree-lined course formerly known as the Marapara.
The par-70 layout is in great shape with its fairways soft and not prone to weird bounces. The greens are also very receptive and biting, giving the crack field a great chance to attack the pins.
“You will have to think on every tee shot,” Ferdie Aunzo, the 2008 Philippine Am champion over JR Tanpinco here, told the Inquirer in Filipino moments before Tuesday’s pro-am won by Anthony Fernando’s team.
“But I think 10-under (for 54 holes) could be the winning score.”
Through it all, though, all eyes will be on hometown boy Juvic Pagunsan, the Asian Tour’s 2007 Rookie of the Year who has three wins in the first four all-Filipino legs so far.
Pagunsan knows the tight, tree-lined course like the back of his hands like the nearby Binitin layout in Murcia town where he learned to play the game as a caddie.
Coming in from a respectable finish in an Asean Tour leg in Malaysia, the 33-year-old Pagunsan goes out at 7:30 a.m. from tee No. 1 in the company of fellow Canlubang pro Jun Bernis and amateur Chepe Dulay.
Antonio Lascuna is another favorite because of his precise iron play. The dusky bidder from Davao said nine- to 10-under would win it.
This will be the first pro event here since 2002, when Angelo Que pipped the veteran Cesar Ababa by one shot to rule the defunct First Gentleman’s circuit leg.
Elmer Salvador and Artemio Murakami, the Philippine Open champions the previous two years, are also tipped to contend well together with veteran Robert Pactolerin and Cassius Casas.