P1M Sherwood Hills Golf Classic fires off today

WITH the regulars in the Asian Tour back in the fold, a fierce battle is expected to ensue over at the Sherwood Hills Golf and Country Club as the P1M Sherwood Hills Golf Classic tees off today in Trece Martirez, Cavite.

Elmer Salvador and Tony Lascuna head the crack list of players resuming their campaign on the local circuit after a three-week stint abroad marked by Salvador’s near-breakthrough victory in the Singapore Classic but marred by his missed cut play in the Macau Open the week after.

Still, Salvador will be the player to watch in this week’s event, the 12th leg of the 16-stage circuit pushed a day later by rain spawned by Typhoon Pedring Tuesday, rendering the course soggy and forcing the organizing Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc. to apply winter rules.

The wet conditions notwithstanding, the chase for the P200,000 champion’s purse is tipped to go down the wire with Lascuna also raring to post his first local win after a couple of runner-up finishes, including a four-hole playoff loss to Robert Pactolerin in the ICTSI Negros Occidental Classic. He also had two third-place finishes.

Others fancied to contend for the crown are Jhonnel Ababa, who is seeking a follow-up to his come-from-behind win at ICTSI Riviera Classic two weeks ago and Jay Bayron who is out to redeem himself from a final round foldup at Riviera.

Bayron, the reigning Order of Merit champion, blew a five-stroke lead over Rey Pagunsan at Riviera closing with a horrible 81, enabling Ababa, seven strokes behind Bayron going to the final round, to snatch a one-stroke win over Cassisus Casas.  /Correspondent Jonas Panerio