Year’s best takes on tour’s finest in TCC Invit’l

JAY BAYRON OF DAVAO CITY

Dabawenyo Jay Bayron hopes to measure up against the best of the lot as he goes for his
first The Country Club Invitational crown beginning Jan. 27 at the TCC layout in
Laguna.
Bayron toppled fancied Bacolodnon Juvic Pagunsan in their spirited battle for the Order of
Merit crown in last year’s ICTSI-Philippine Golf Tour, ruling the circuit’s last
leg in Canlubang to clinch the coveted OOM plum and emerge the year’s top
player.
But the former amateur standout has not much of a success at the TCC
Invitational, finishing eighth in 2009 won by Artemio Murakami and limping home
at 16th in last year’s staging of the event sponsored by golf patron Ricky
Razon, chairman and CEO of the International Container Terminal Services, Inc.
But Bayron’s sterling 2010 performance, where he started his campaign with a
string of runner-up finishes before coming up with a strong finishing kick, has
installed him as one of the favorites in the upcoming P4.7 million event which
features the country’s leading golfers and top amateurs.
Meanwhile, Bayron and other leading pros see action in the traditional pro-am
event on Jan. 26 as they team up with the event’s guests and backers in the
18-hole tournament.
The TCC Invitational will also serve as the kickoff leg of this year’s
ICTSI-PGT, a 12-leg nationwide circuit slated at the country’s various
championship courses to be launched in Wednesday’s pro-am.

Angelo Que and Pagunsan head the elite cast chasing the top P1.4 million purse
with the talented duo seeking to become the first player to win three titles in
the annual tournament also held in honor of ICTSI founder Enrique “Don Pocholo”
Razon, Sr.
Que, winner in 2007, romped away with a five-stroke win over Murakami last year
while Pagunsan won the crown in 2006 by humbling the veteran Frankie Minoza in
sudden death and then repeated in 2008.
Minoza, meanwhile, is joining the fray, looking for his first win and a
morale-booster in his US Seniors Champions Tour bid. The two-time Philippine
Open champion is fine-tuning his game for his much-awaited stint in the
lucrative US circuit where he qualified by finishing joint runner-up in last
year's tough qualifier in Florida.
Murakami, coming off a victory in the Philippine Open last month, is also tipped
to contend for the crown along with Tony Lascuña, Mars Pucay, 2009 OOM winner
and former RP Open winner Elmer Salvador, and former winners Cassius Casas and
Jerome Delariarte and Marvin Dumandan, the winningest player in last year’s
circuit with three victories.
Others seeing action in the tournament proper are Benjie Magada, Ferdie Aunzo,
Ramil Bisera, Jun Bernis, Elmer Saban, Orlan Sumcad, Antonio Asistio II, Anthony
Fernando, Danny Zarate, Richard Sinfuego, Rufino Bayron, Rey Pagunsan, Omar
Dungca, Ebarra Quiachon, Michael Bibat, Randy Garalde, Richard Abaring, Joel
Opaco, Cookie La'O, Joenard Rates, Gerald Rosales, Albin Engino, Ruben Sasutil
and Roland Marabe.(pr)