The Philippine Golf Tour Asia goes overseas for the first time on its third season as it holds the Daan Taiwan Open on May 23-26 where some of the country’s leading pros go up against the hosts’ top and rising players at the CCK Golf Club in Taichung.
Top guns from other countries who are regular campaigners on the region’s newest circuit and the leading players in Taiwan PGA (TPGA) are also seeing action in the $100,000 championship that would further highlight PGT Asia’s steady rise as one of the region’s emerging circuits.
“Holding tournaments abroad has been part of the PGT Asia program in our continuing commitment not only to help raise the level of play among Filipino pros but also advance the growth of Phl golf,” said Colo Ventosa, general manager of Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc., organizer of the country’s three pro circuits, including the PGT and the Ladies PGT.
Sixty-five mainstays of PGT Asia will be mixing it up with 79 of the leading TPGA campaigners in what promises to be a slam-bang duel with veteran internationalists and multi-titled Tony Lascuña and Jay Bayron leading the Filipinos’ campaign in the 72-hole championship.
To underscore PGTI’s commitment to help raise the level of play of Filipino pros, a second PGT Asia event in Taiwan is also scheduled on Sept. 26-29 for the Nan Pao TPGA Open in Nan Pao Golf Club.
“Our goal is to grow the PGT Asia further and we need more of our talents to play abroad and join the likes of Miguel Tabuena and Angelo Que, who have been mixing it up with the top players from Asia and Europe the last few years,” said Ventosa,
The LPGT actually first broke barriers when it staged its first tournament abroad, the Party Golfers Ladies Open, also in Taiwan late last year with the second edition slated on Oct. 2-4, also at the National Golf Country Club in Miaoli County.
By providing the Filipino pros the opportunity to compete on a different setup and environment, Ventosa believes the exposure will be beneficial to their respective games in particular and to Phl golf in general.
The Taiwan PGA Open serves as the second leg of this year’s PGT Asia after the Luisita Championship last month, which Thai Namchok Tantipokhakul ruled in come-from-behind fashion over Finnish Teemu Putkonen.
