4-course format for next Tour leg

MANILA, Philippines — A novel format—tried just once before locally—is up when the ICTSI Tour resumes next week at Eagle Ridge in Trece Martirez, Cavite.

Carrying a record purse of P3 million, the 72-hole event will be played on all four courses of the sprawling complex—Aoki, Norman, Faldo and Dye layouts—giving no player the usual course familiarity advantage.

The field will be split into two and play the Norman and Faldo courses in the first two days, with the top 40 scores and ties advancing to the third round which will be held at the ultra-difficult Dye course.

The final 18 holes will be at the Aoki layout.

“This should be the ultimate test of golf and mental toughness,” said Colo Ventosa, the general manager of the organizing Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc.

One man who is no stranger to this kind of a format is Cassius Casas, the former Philippine Open champion who won the Ro-Ro (Roll-On, Roll-Off) Invitational in 2003. That tournament was on played five different courses in different provinces with the event aimed at promoting the Ro-Ro project of then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Leg winners Jay Bayron and Joenard Rates are the early favorites with two-time Order of Merit winner Antonio Lascuña resuming his chase for a first title for the year.

The pro-am tournament will be held on April 7 with several pros spearheading teams made up of amateur players coming from the event’s chief backers Nike Golf, Custom Clubmakers, Titleist, Cleveland, Pacsports, Srixon, Callaway, Sharp and FootJoy and media partners Balls TV and ABS-CBN.