Solaire Open at WW East favors crack Filipino bets

THE PHILIPPINES’ finest will try to hold off a crack foreign contingent starting Thursday when the $300,000 Solaire Open tees off at Wack Wack’s fabled East layout.

Juvic Pagunsan and Angelo Que, currently the country’s biggest international stars, Frankie Miñoza, the legend whom all local pros are trying to emulate, and up-and-coming Miguel Tabuena lead the Filipino charge in the Asian Tour event.

“The current Philippine field is good and these young kids have no fear—they are very good,” said the 53-year-old Miñoza, who won the last of his two Philippine Open titles in 2007, also at the East course.

Que won the PH Open the following year, also at Wack Wack.

Que, who has two Asian Tour titles to his credit, finished fourth in the Myanmar Open and is confident of his chances here.

“I finished fourth in my first event so it has been pretty good so far,” he said. “I’m still trying to find four good rounds for the whole week where I will be in contention again.”

The event is sponsored by the Solaire Resort and Casino and supported by the Department of Tourism, Hyundai, Pru Life UK, Nescafé Dolce Gusto and Omega. Other backers of the event are Holiday Inn Manila Galleria, Johnnie Walker, Asahi Super Dry, Srixon, Panasonic, Canon and PepsiCo.

Baek Seuk-hyun of South Korea, Arnond Vongvanij of Thailand, Tetsuji Hiratsuka of Japan and Rikard Karlberg of Sweden headline the cast of foreign stars in the four-day championship also held as part of the launch of Solaire Resort and Casino at Entertainment City in Pasay City.

Reigning PH Open champion Mardan Mamat of Singapore is also in the field and knows what it takes to finish off foes at Wack Wack.

Tabuena will be coming off a very impressive victory in the Sherwood Hills Classic, while Antonio Lascuña also has a huge chance of prevailing after conquering the local field in the last leg of the ICTSI series last season.