Dasmariñas, Cavite—Angelo Que hopes to complete an unfinished business, cashing on a break from his hectic Japan PGA Tour campaign to lead the title hunt in the $100,000 Aboitiz Invitational starting today (Wednesday, Sept. 5) at the Orchard Golf and Country Club’s Palmer Course here.
Que battled Miguel Tabuena through four days of brilliant shotmaking at Manila Southwoods last year but fell short by one despite a 22-under card with the long-hitting shotmaker back in pursuit of the coveted crown in what has become a major championship that has eluded him at least twice.
The former three-time Asian Tour winner, who also placed second to two-time champion Elmer Salvador in the fourth edition of the event in Cebu in 2013, hopes to get going right in the first round of the fifth leg of this year’s Philippine Golf Tour Asia in a duel with Tony Lascuña and Korean Kim Dae Won at 7:10 a.m. on No. 10.
With the par-72 Palmer layout in top shape, premium will be on shotmaking with the power-hitters given the slight edge on a course which differs from the tight layouts that the men of the tour had tackled in the Visayas and Mindanao swing of the PGT the last three months.
But Que will be as much tested as the rest of the field, including Jhonnel Ababa, one of the marked men this week following his victory in last week’s rain-shortened ICTSI Club Filipino de Cebu Invitational.
“I think I can score back-to-back wins,” said Ababa, who also ruled the PGTA fourth leg at Forest Hills last July. “I feel good, confident. I think long hitters have the edge on the par-5s, which are reachable.”
The former amateur hotshot also stressed the need for his putting to click, hinting at a 17-under total as the winning score in the 72-hole championship sponsored by Aboitiz Equity Ventures for the eighth straight year.
But Ababa will be pressed early as he drew two-time winner Jay Bayron and Thai veteran Wisut Artjanawat in the 11:20 flight on No. 1, right after the group of Thai Pasavee Lertvilai, American Jacob Fleck and Michael Bibat.
Focus will also be on young Korean Kim Joo Hyung, who will play alongside England’s Mark Chamberlain and Charles Hong at 11:50, also on the first hole, while PGT Order of Merit frontrunner Jobim Carlos slugs it out with Japanese Eichiro Hiyama and Thai Piya Swangarunporn at 7 a.m. on No. 10.
Aussie Damien Jordan, who fell short of his title bid in Cebu last week, is also back in the hunt, confident of his chances for the top $17,500 purse in the event put up by ICTSI and organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.
“The course is great and I think this time it’s for me (to shine) unlike in Cebu where Jhonnel and Kim had the course worked to their favor. They were just lucky and they can’t do that here anymore,” said Jordan, who led in the first round in Cebu, dropped to third in the second round but whose rally was stymied after the third round was suspended due to bad weather and event was subsequently reduced to 54 holes.
Others tipped to contend are Aussies Tim Stewart, Simon Vitakangas and Nathan Park, Thais Chirat Jirasuwan, Tommy Mansuwan and Thammanoon Sriroj, and Americans Brett Munson, John Michael O’Toole and Lexus Keoninh while Lascuña, Clyde Mondilla, Phl Masters titlist Jerson Balasabas, Zanieboy Gialon, Keanu Jahns, former PGTA leg champion Justin Quiban and Nilo Salahog are likewise expected to crowd the favorites in the event backed by ICTSI, Custom Clubmakers, Meralco, Champion, Summit Mineral Water, K&G Golf Apparel, BDO, Sharp, KZG, PLDT and M.Y. Shokai Technology, Inc.”‹