Aboitiz Invitational golf starts

The cash-rich Aboitiz Invitational tees off today with the country’s best and brightest golfers battling it out with Asia’s contenders over at the lush and improved greens of the Cebu Country Club in Banilad.

The field, though, is expected to lighten with the last-minute withdrawal of Juvic Pagunsan, which leaves the door open for the $65,000 cash prize.

Tipped as the best bet to record the first Filipino win on the Asian Development Tour, Pagunsan pulled out on the eve of the 72-hole championship, citing foot injury that has hampered his preparations for the first-ever Philippine event to be featured on the fledgling circuit.

Pagunsan has dominated the first half of the ICTSI-Philippine Golf Tour, winning four of the first nine legs and would have been a top contender for top honors in this penultimate leg of the ADT had he joined the starting 106-player field.

That includes Taiwanese Kao Shang-hung and Chiang Chen-chih, who are seeking their second leg victories on the circuit. They spearhead a big foreign contingent in a four-day shootout with the leading Filipino shotmakers on a tight course with unpredictable putting surface.

Kao, fresh from a one-stroke victory in the Ballantine’s Taiwan Championship of the ADT last week, drew a late tee-off time at 11:40 a.m. on No. 10 with ICTSI-Bacolod leg winner Robert Pactolerin and Rufino Bayron. Chiang, winner of ADT’s fourth leg – the Transcend Open – last May, is featured in a tough group that includes Davao’s aces Tony Lascuna and Marvin Dumandan at 7:30 a.m., also on No. 10.

Mhark Fernando, coming off a breakthrough win in ICTSI-Del Monte two weeks ago, hopes to lead the local challenge in the absence of Pagunsan although lack of practice has slowed down the former amateur hotshot.

Aside from Pagunsan, two other Filipino aces are not in the list with Angelo Que opting to compete in the Omega European Masters in Switzerland and Frankie Minoza vying in Japan. But the locals’ roster remained as formidable as ever.

Jay Bayron, who ended a long title drought with a wire-to-wire triumph over Pagunsan here last year, takes aim for a second straight win although the 32-year-old Davaoeno has struggled the last few months, losing a playoff battle to Jhonnel Ababa at ICTSI-Iloilo, hobbling in joint 24th in the Thailand Open and finishing in joint 21st at ICTSI-Del Monte two weeks ago. He starts out with American Matthew Rosenfeld and Fernando at 11:45 a.m. on No. 1 while teener Miguel Tabuena, 14th in Taiwan last week, hopes to come out strong in one of the early flights at 7:30 a.m. on No. 1 with ICTSI-Iloilo leg winner Jhonnel Ababa and Australian Matt Docking.

Artemio Murakami, the leading Filipino bet on the ADT, is raring to atone for a missed cut stint in Taiwan against Brunei’s Faiz Damit and Gene Bondoc in the 11:25 a.m. flight on No. 1 while another Filipino favorite, Elmer Salvador, sets out at 7:40 a.m. on No. 1 with Taiwanese Chang Tse-peng and Matt Freake of Australia. Veteran Cassius Casas also hopes to contend for the crown along with fellow former Philippine Open champion Gerald Rosales, Mars Pucay, Ferdie Aunzo, Anthony Fernando, the comebacking Ramon Brobio, and young turks Carl Santos-Ocampo, Jerson Balasabas and Antonio Asistio II.