Premium will be on accuracy and putting as the men of the tour tackle a short but tricky Club Filipino De Cebu course when the rich ICTSI CFdC Invitational is fired off tomorrow in Danao City.
Short by the pros’ standards, the par-71, 6692-yard course is still expected to challenge the field’s skills, particularly in iron play and course management with its unpredictable surface also tipped to add up to the challenges that abound around the layout carved from steep hills.
It also features dog-leg holes that could lure the long hitters to take the risk and use their drivers in a bid to gain ground against the rest of the bidders in the P3-million event kicking off a four-leg Visayas swing of the Philippine Golf Tour’s milestone 10th season.
Jhonnel Ababa reigned here when CFdC first hosted a PGT leg last September although the multi-titled Davaoeño shotmaker did it via the short route, winning it in 54 holes after heavy rain cancelled third round play.
While Ababa is upbeat of scoring a repeat, the rest of the pack also exude confidence of putting up a solid showing, including veteran Jay Bayron, former Phl Masters champion Jerson Balasabas and PGT Asia leg winners James Ryan Lam, Justin Quiban, Joenard Rates and Rene Menor.
The list also includes PGT winners, led by Dutch Guido Van der Valk, Zanieboy Gialon, Charles Hong and Mars Pucay with the long-hitting Rey Pagunsan also coming into the event brimming with confidence coming off a victory in the National pro-am at Splendido.