17-leg PGT fires off March 28

The ICTSI Philippine Golf Tour marks its fourth year with a record 17-stage circuit, starting with a new leg at Splendido Taal Golf and Country Club in Tagaytay next week and ending at Wack Wack Golf and Country Club in December.

Four other new events have been lined up for another busy season for the pros while a novel North vs South duel, which pits the leading players from Luzon against those from the Visayas and Mindanao in a Ryder Cup-style format, spices up this year’s tour in May at the Alabang Country Club.

While majority will be 54-hole tournaments, two have been set as 72-hole events and two others to be sanctioned by the Asian Development Tour in recognition of the circuit’s growing reputation in the region.

The ICTSI Splendido is set March 28-30 with John Hay Golf Club hosting the second leg – the ICTSI Camp John Hay Classic – on April 18-20 and Sherwood Hills to stage the third leg on April 25-28 as a 72-hole event, the same as the ICTSI Manila Southwoods on June 27-30.

“We are happy to have added five new legs, making it a 17-stage circuit,” said Colo Ventosa, general manager of the organizing Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. “The competition will be tougher with the participation of more local pros and we are looking forward to another successful season.”

Eagle Ridge will also provide a different kind of challenge for the touring pros when its hosts a leg for the first time on May 23-25 for the ICTSI Eagle Ridge Invitational before Alabang holds the North vs South duel on May 28-June 1 for the sixth leg of the circuit sponsored by International Container Terminal Services, Inc.

The ICTSI Eastridge Classic will host the next stage on June 6-8 at Eastridge in Binangonan followed by the ICTSI Classic at Mt. Malarayat in Lipa, Batangas on June 20-22, the ICTSI Negros Occidental Classic on July 18-20 and the ICTSI Iloilo Golf Challenge on July 25-27.

The rest of the sked: ICTSI Pueblo de Oro (Aug. 8-10), the ICTSI Rancho Palos Verdes Classic (Aug. 15-17), the Aboitiz Invitational (Sept. 5-8), ICTSI Orchard Golf Championship (Sept. 12-15), ICTSI Calatagan Challenge (Oct. 24-26), ICTSI Canlubang Golf Invitational (Nov. 14-16) and the ICTSI Wack Wack Championship (Dec. 12-15).