Ria’s mountain to scale

SILANG, Cavite — Ria Quiazon hit the nail on the head when she said "playing in the RP Open is like scaling a mountain."

But for her critics, that was an understatement. For how can a lady player with hardly any credentials to show other than her head-turning looks could measure up to the grizzled men of the tour in a tournament such as prestigious as the Philippine Open?

And on a course as daunting as Riviera’s layout? But the lone lady golfer in the fold is unperturbed. While she said she’s ready for the flak and the consequences of her decision to play here, Quiazon remains confident she could dish out a solid game and hope she could outdo herself.

"It’s gonna be difficult, I know. It’s like scaling a mountain," said Quiazon after the pro-am yesterday. "I will not promise anything, but I will do my best to figure prominently."

But unless she comes up with a pair of impressive rounds under tough playing conditions, many believe she’ll come out of the event in tatters which might not be good for a player who’s making her debut in a professional tour.

In fact, Jenny Rosales, regarded as the best lady pro in the land with four years of LPGA experience to boast of, declined the invitation to play here and instead opted to compete in the rich ANZ Ladies Masters in Australia where she said she had bigger chances to hunt for the crown.

Even Heidi Chua, a former RP Ladies Open champion like Rosales, also withdrew last week after weighing her chances in an event which not only features the cream of the local pro crop but also some of the top foreign players in the region.

But not Quiazon.

Like a child wishing for a star, she wants to dream. And she dreams big-time.

"It’s actually a dream come true for me, playing in an all-male tournament," said Quiazon, pointing to her idol Annika Sorenstam’s stint in the US PGA which incidentally drew mixed reactions from the men of the tour.

"I’m really excited to play in the RP Open and this is one big opportunity for me to play so I grabbed this rare opportunity," she said.

And whether she seized the moment or not will be known today when she tees off at 7:25 a.m. today in the company of Amandeep Johl of India and Thai ace Prom Meesawat.

But if her pro-am debut would be any indication, put the 23-year-old beauty in the early list of casualties. She had a 45 and 47 card.— Dante Navarro