Solaire Open golf: Singapore’s Mamat heads foreign threat
A STRONG international field, led by reigning Philippine Open champion Mardan Mamat of Singapore, will be trying to hold off a slew of Filipinos shooting for the right to become the first Solaire Open golf champion starting tomorrow.
Mamat, the stocky and soft-spoken 42-year-old who won the Open pulling away, has a distinct edge over the other foreigners in the Asian Tour event. He knows how to play the age-old Wack Wack East layout.
The legendary Frankie Miñoza banners the local charge and he, too, like another Asian Tour luminary in the field in Angelo Que, knows what it takes to close out talented fields in the exclusive Mandaluyong layout.
Miñoza won the second of his PH Open titles in 2007 and Que followed suit the year after even as Juvic Pagunsan, the 2011 Asian Tour Order of Merit champion, chases his first big title at Wack Wack and the $54,000 prize that goes with it.
Chapchai Nirat of Thailand is also entered and looms to be one of the foreigners to watch like Japan’s Tetsui Hiratsuka. Both have won multiple legs on the Asian Tour.
The Solaire Open is a $300,000 event that coincides with the opening of the newest resort hotel and casino in the country and is one of two major international events Wack Wack will host this year, counting the $700,000 Philippine Open in November.
It was formally launched yesterday with no less than Wack Wack president Philip Ella Juico and Solaire CEO Michael French gracing the occasion.
“We haven’t made a long-term commitment,” French said during the launch when asked if the event will be an annual affair. “It could be. We are certainly open to that.”
“We offer you the beauty and grandeur of Wack Wack,” a proud Juico said. “We welcome the foreign players but we will welcome it more if a Filipino wins.”
Antonio Lascuña is also in the field and he will be coming into the 72-hole championship with his confidence at a high after winning the local ICTSI leg over the same course last December when he was the only one to finish under par.
