Thai heads foreign challenge

Dominated by the locals in the first three legs, the crack foreign field aims to end the Filipinos’ surge in the PGT Asia Tour when the fourth leg is fired off Wednesday for the ICTSI Wack Wack Championship at WW East.

Pasavee Lertvilai banners the 48 foreign entries from 16 countries in the $100,000 event with the Thai shotmaker out to atone for his playoff setback to unheralded Rene Menor in the second leg of the region’s newest circuit at Splendido last September.

Wisut Artjanawat, another Thai entry who placed seventh in the kickoff leg at Wack Wack won by Miguel Tabuena, and Manila-based Dutchman Guido Van der Valk, who wound up sixth at Riviera topped by Clyde Mondilla, are also in the fold, both raring to slug it out with the local top guns on a tight course that requires accuracy more than length.

Young American Micah Shin, and James Bowen, Paul Harris and Lexus Keoninh, also of the US, Dengshan Koh and Choo Tze Huang of Singapore, Aussies David Gleeson, Andrew Campbell and Rick Coleman are the other foreign entries tipped to contend for the top $17,500 purse in the 72-hole championship sponsored by ICTSI and organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.

But they face another uphill battle against the fired-up local crew led by Tabuena, Menor and Mondilla.