Lascuña, Que headline Iloilo Golf Challenge

MANILA, Philippines - Reigning back-to-back Order of Merit champion Tony Lascuña and three-time Asian Tour winner Angelo Que confirmed their participation in the ICTSI Iloilo Golf Challenge, boosting the cast in the P1 million event firing off Wednesday at the Iloilo Golf and Country Club in Sta. Barbara.

But while Lascuña is seeking to nail a third crown after nine legs of the ICTSI Philippine Golf Tour, Que is still trying to put it all together for his first victory this season. With leg winners Elmer Salvador, Jay Bayron, Charles Hong and Rufino Bayron also in the fold, the battle for the top P200,000 purse in the 72-hole championship is expected to be wide-open.

“Despite the long break, we had been in constant training so we still expect a tightly fought contest in the next two weeks,” said Lascuña, who won at Eagle Ridge and Valley legs of this year’s circuit sponsored by International Container Terminal Services, Inc.

“I still practice regularly and I’m hoping that something big happens the next two weeks,” said Que, whose best finish this year was joint third at ICTSI Eagle Ridge. “I’ve been working hard the past few so hopefully, I can finally win.”

Meanwhile, the leading pros test the country’s oldest layout in tomorrow’s traditional pro-am tournament where they will be paired with their amateur partners from the event’s chief backers, including Nike Golf, Pacsports, Srixon, FootJoy, It’s More Fun in the Philippines, Callaway, Mizuno, Custom Clubmakers, Titleist, Sharp and KZG.

The par-70 IGCC will be hosting an ICTSI PGT leg for the first time in two years with Mars Pucay nipping Miguel Tabuena to end a two-year title spell in 2012. But Pucay has begged off from participating together with Tabuena, who ruled the last leg at the Manila Masters at Eastridge last month but who has decided to skip this week’s event.

The Iloilo leg actually kicks off a two-leg Visayas swing with Negros Occidental Golf and Country Club hosting next week’s P1 million tournament, the 10th leg of the 16-stage circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, inc., at the Marapara layout.

After the Visayas legs, action shifts back to Luzon for the Aboitiz Invitational, which will now be held at Riviera’s Couples course on Aug. 27-30 after a three-year staging in Cebu.