Miñoza joins 2nd ADT leg at Malarayat

FRESH from a British Senior Open stint, Frankie Miñoza joins  the $65,000 ICTSI Classic at Mount Malarayat in Lipa City starting tomorrow, hoping to nail a third straight title on local soil.

The 53-year-old reigning Japan Senior Open champion and winner of the last two tournaments he played in the ICTSI Tour will be one of the players to beat in the second Asian Development Tour leg in the country this season.

Elmer Salvador will also seek  a second straight title after topping the Aboitiz leg in Cebu, and Angelo Que looks due for a win after finishing second last week, just a stroke behind.

Topnotch foreign pros are also entered,  not to mention Filipino standouts like Antonio Lascuña and Carl Santos-Ocampo, who was third in Cebu and seemed ready to nail a  second victory for the year.

Miñoza finished in a 61st place tie at Royal Birkdale in England, where he started strong with 2-under-par 68 before winding up with a 295 total.

At Del Monte and Pueblo de Oro in Mindanao, Miñoza proved untouchable, winning  both tournaments by a combined 10 shots before he left for  England to chase his first Major championship.

The traditional Pro-Am ushers in the tournament today.

Meanwhile, Salvador moved up to No. 2 in the Order of Merit with earnings of P842,956. Miguel Tabuena, who won at Sherwood and placed second at John Hay, still paces the field with P989,043.