Top courses ready for resumption of pro tour

MANILA, Philippines – Some of the country’s championship courses serving as regular stops of the men’s and ladies pro golf circuits see no problem hosting tournaments again as the National Capital Region and other areas brace for a change in quarantine status next week.

“It’s still possible to hold tournaments especially for the pros because awards rites are immaterial,” said Erwin Vinluan, director of golf operations at Wack Wack Golf and Country Club in Mandaluyong, which has hosted a number of big-time tournaments, including the Philippine Open.

“Organizers can just hand the trophy over to the winner and the rest (of the field) could leave right after the tournament since the (cash) prizes are remitted to the players’ respective accounts,” he added.

Golf is one of the non-contact sports allowed to resume operations in areas now under general community quarantine (GCQ) but with emphasis on stricter measures, particularly physical distancing.

The Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc., organizer of the country’s premier men’s and ladies circuits, including a new regional tour in PGT (Philippine Golf Tour) Asia, has not made any decisions as to when to re-start the tour following the COVID-19 outbreak last March.

But with lockdown restrictions in the National Capital Region, Laguna, Pampanga, Bataan, Bulacan and Nueva Ecija, also home to the other top golf courses in the land, expected to ease up after May 31, hopes are high for both circuits to resume under a “new normal” set-up.

In fact, in a recent Metro Manila Council meeting, all but three of the 17 mayors agreed to recommend the downgrading from MECQ (modified enhanced community quarantine) to GCQ in the Big City.
The MMC will meet again Wednesday to come up with its final recommendation to the Inter-Agency Task Force.

“If they would allow us to hold pro tournaments again, there’s no problem,” said Eagle Ridge Golf and Country Club manager Boy Blue Ocampo. “But at the end of the day, the IATF will still have the final say.”

The IATF is actually finalizing the IRR (implementing rules and regulations) in golf submitted by the National Golf Association of the Philippines (NGAP), the country’s governing body in the sport, and the Philippine Sports Commission.

Among the guidelines are the no sit-down service at restaurants, no use of locker rooms, early tee-time reservations, one-rider-per-cart, 2-meter distance from each player, wearing of gloves and face masks at all times. For clubs that would allow caddies, the bag-toters must wear face masks, face shields and rubber gloves at all times.

Sources, however, said additional stricter measures will be added to ensure the health and safety of the players, golf course personnel and workers and tournament organizers, including coverage of the events.

“As we saw in the recent two golf exhibition matches in the US, which featured Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson and Rory McIlory and company, there were no caddies, no gallery, plus the clubs’ new safety policies,” said Bobby Chico, general manager of Splendido Taal Golf Club, also host of the annual PGT and PGT Asia Qualifying School, the last cut to a 54-hole tournament due to the pandemic.

“These (new guidelines) are to be expected if ever there is to be PGT and Ladies PGT for the year,” added Chico.

The PGT Asia, the region’s emerging circuit, is already ruled out to resume its fourth season due to travel restrictions.