Tabuena heads stellar cast in TCC tilt

A stellar 30-player field, headed by five former champions and four foreigners, will see action Wednesday in the 15-million The Country Club Invitational at the dreaded TCC course in Laguna.

Last year, Miguel Tabuena edged three-time winner Juvic Pagunsan to win the event put up by ICTSI boss Ricky Razon in 2003 to honor the memory of his father and ICTSI founder Don Pocholo.

Tabuena, who won with a score of 13-over 301, will be back as well as Pagunsan.

“When you play TCC, you have to be equipped with everything – shotmaking, iron play, short game and putting, plus mental toughness. One can’t really predict the outcome because each hole’s character could change in an instant in the presence of the wind,” said Tony Lascuña, a multi-titled player on the local circuit still in search for a follow-up to his first TCC victory way back in 2004.

“The additional creeks in some holes and the other minor changes make it more challenging but it makes a difference in terms of how you play it. It’s going to be more of a thinking game,” said Pilipinas Golf Tour and TCC general manager Colo Ventosa.

Angelo Que is also in the fold, and like Pagunsan, the long-hitting former Philippine Open champion is also eyeing to become the first player to win four TCC titles after topping the event in 2007, 2010 and 2011.

Also expected to contend are Clyde Mondilla, a three-leg winner last season, and Jhonnel Ababa, who won the Eagle Ridge and Pradera Verde legs last month.

Dutch Guido Van der Valk and Americans Nicolas Paez and Micah Shin, and Japanese Toru Nakajima provide the foreign challenge in the 14th staging of the annual event, also serving as tune-up for those vying in the grand Centennial Solaire Philippine Open on Feb. 28-March 3, also at the TCC.