ARTEMIO Murakami guns for a repeat title while Frankie Minoza and Jay Bayron look to keep their respective winning runs going as the P1 million ICTSI Cangolf Invitational gets going today at the Cangolf’s north course in Laguna.
The battle is expected to be fierce with several top names aiming for the title with the tour winding down to its final stages.
Also playing in this tournament are Cebuano Charles Hong, Mhark Fernando, Carl Santos-Ocampo, Zanie Boy Gialon and Marvin Dumandan.
Murakami shot a record 64 in the first round then went on to post an eight-shot romp last year but the former national champion and Asian Tour campaigner went on a slump this season, falling to as low as 50th in the Order of Merit ranking with so-so finishes.
Heading to the penultimate leg of the 15-stage circuit sponsored by ICTSI, Murakami is upbeat of his chances, confident of redisplaying the form that netted him a runaway triumph last year.
But he will be facing a field raring to fuel their respective title bids with Minoza coming off a big win in the Japan Seniors Open and Bayron topping the PGM-Eastwood Valley Masters in Malaysia two weeks ago, his second on the Asian Development Tour this year that gave him the ADT OOM lead and a card in next year’s Asian Tour. /Correspondent Jonas Panerio