Asian stars show stuff in ICTSI E Ridge Invit’l

At least eight Asian Development Tour leg winners have confirmed participation in the ICTSI Eagle Ridge Invitational with a slew of other ADT campaigners also signing up for the $60,000 event unfolding Wednesday at the Aoki course of the sprawling Eagle Ridge Golf and Country Club in Gen. Trias, Cavite.

Thai Panuwat Muenlek, Malaysians Wilson Choo and Arie Irawan, Scot James Byrne, Americans Brett Munson and James Bowen, Japanese Masaru Takahashi and Mitsuhiko Hashizume headline the field in the 72-hole championship, which kicks off a two-leg ADT swing sponsored by International Container Terminal Services, Inc. in the country.

The ICTSI, which has backed at least one ADT since 2012, will also title-sponsor the $60,000 Sherwood Hills Golf and Country Club, also in Cavite on April 22-25.

The local aces kept all three ADT crowns at home last year with Elmer Salvador ruling the Riviera Classic at Riviera’s Langer course, Rufino Bayron scoring a breakthrough at Orchard Championship and Tony Lascuña finally nailing his first victory on the Asian Tour’s farm circuit at the Aboitiz Invitational at Riviera’s Couples layout.

This time, Lascuña and company will be hard-pressed to keep the ADT crowns at home since the ADT campaigners will be coming into the event in tip-top shape following a six-leg grind on the circuit.

Still, Lascuña, the reigning three-time Philippine Golf Tour Order of Merit winner, remains upbeat of the Filipinos’ chances in the event sponsored by International Container Terminal Services, Inc.

“We were able to win all three ADT events last year so I don’t see any reason why we can’t do it again,” said Lascuña. “But it will take a lot of hard work and I hope the other guys will step up.”

Angelo Que, for one, will surely be in the mix after the former three-time Asian Tour winner finally snapped a three-year title spell with a two-shot victory over Miguel Tabuena and Ferdie Aunzo in the Manila Masters at Eastridge last month.

Tabuena will also be coming into the event oozing with confidence with a victory in the Philippine Golf Tour’s kickoff leg at Splendido and a joint runner-up finish at Eastridge while Rufino Bayron is as thrilled as the others in pursuit of a second ADT championship.

Jay Bayron, who won the ADT OOM title in 2012, is also out to end a long title drought on the circuit while Salvador has always been a formidable name in all ADT events, having won three titles.