Nomura Cup veterans Kristoffer Arevalo, Elee Bisera and Coby Rolida head a crack list of national team mainstays seeking to go big-time, taking the first step in the Philippine Golf Tour Qualifying School beginning today (Tuesday) at Splendido Taal Golf Club in Tagaytay City.
Arevalo, the 2022 National Stroke Play champion who also vied in the Vietnam SEA Games and won the 14-15 crown in the Junior World in San Diego in 2013, is all geared up for a four-day test of skills and mental fortitude at one of the country’s toughest courses with its up-and-down layout, deep ravines, undulating surface and the wind factor.
Bisera took the low amateur honors in the last year’s ICTSI Pradera Verde leg, sharing eighth place overall with PGT leg winner Reymon Jaraula with 24-year-old Davaoeno also ready to do battle with the pros and his peers for one of the 35 slots to this year’s PGT.
Rolida, meanwhile, joined the Ateneo golf varsity team during his senior high school and his stints in the Junior World in San Diego, the Asia Grand Final of the Faldo Series in Vietnam and the Singapore Open, among others, should rank him among the marked players from the ranks to contend in the 72-hole tournament.
After 36 holes, the top 50 and ties from the field of 87, including 22 foreign hopefuls, will advance to the final two rounds where they will slug it out for the top 35 and berths in the Category 6. The outside 35 will be included in Category 7 of the 2023 PGT starting fields.
The other young guns hoping to shine in the elims organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. are Gab Manotoc and Jonas Magcalayo, also both former national team members, the power-hitting Josh Jorge, Ivan Monsalve and Don Petil.
They, however, will have their hands full against a slew of pros who are all raring to get going for a strong start in pursuit of the cards after failing to make the grade to any categories 1-5 after the seven-leg PGT circuit last year.
They include former OOM winner Elmer Salvador, Ferdie Aunzo, Mhark Fernando, Rufino Bayron, Rene Menor, Robert Pactolerin, Belem Arancon, Ramil Bisera, Johnel Bulawit, Danilo delos Santos, Nico Evangelista, Jelbert Gamolo, Rolando Marabe, Jr., Paul Miñoza, Francis Morilla, Rey Pagunsan, Elmer Saban, Nilo Salahog, Peter Villaber, Brent Sumampong and Kuresh Samanodi.
Former PGT Wack Wack leg winner Toru Nakajima and fellow Japanese Gen Nagai, who topped the Philippine Junior championship in 2014, Korean Lee Song and American Riley Keagle are also fancied to crowd the local bidders, along with 18 other foreign hopefuls, guaranteeing a fierce and tight chase for the coveted PGT spots.