PGT launches Nat’l Pro-Am at Malarayat

The Philippine Golf Tour will launch the first ICTSI National Pro-Am Open next week at Mt. Malarayat Golf and Country Club with the country’s leading pros teaming up with the top and rising amateurs for cash, trophies and prizes.

The three-day tournament, slated Oct. 17-19, will cap the PGT season and will now serve as one of the side events on the PGT calendar, along with the Ryder Cup-style The Duel held every other year.

The organizing Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. is also putting up the event in recognition of the amateurs’ role in boosting Philippine golf and at the same time provide them the exposure they need to further raise the level of their respective games.

Listup is ongoing with the PGTI limiting the two-man squads to 120. Fee is pegged at P10,000 per team. For details, contact Jocelyn Duque at (+63) 918-9515308 or email jocelyn_ duque@yahoo.com.

Format is foursomes (alternate shot) with the top 40 teams after 36 holes advancing to the finals. The winning pro will pocket P360,000 while the top amateur will receive trophy and gift prizes.

The event is open to all pro and amateur golfers although the top 40 on the PGT Order of Merit ranking will not be allowed to pair with amateurs with handicap index of 5 and below.

The National Pro-Am staging comes on the heels of the PGTI’s launching of the PGT Asia Tour, an eight-leg regional circuit put up by ICTSI to further the growth of Philippine golf and help produce world-class players.

After three legs, the PGTA will resume on Nov. 15-18 for the ICTSI Wack Wack Championship with Luisita Golf and Country Club in Tarlac hosting the fifth stop on Nov. 29-Dec. 2 and the sprawling Pradera Verde Golf and Country Club in Lubao, Pampanga staging the year-end tournament in mid-December. All events offer a total pot of $100,000.

In 2018, the PGTI said a total of $1.7 million will be staked and in 2019 $2 million with plans to further increase the purse in the future.

An additional 10 events for each of the next two years are also being finalized and talks to hold future legs in other parts of Asia, particularly Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia, are also ongoing.