Pros brace for birdie-spree in ICTSI Mimosa

THE men of the tour set out for a power duel at Mimosa Plus' Acacia course with majority almost effusive in talking about its fine condition and the chances of a four-day hunt for birdies in the ICTSI Mimosa Plus Championship, which fires off today in Clark Freeport Zone in Pampanga.

As the pros continue to hit the ball to ever-increasing distances, the par-72, 6,508-yard layout could be theirs for the taking although their unfamiliarity with Acacia could provide barriers to success in the P2 million championship serving as the 10th leg of this year's Philippine Golf Tour season.

«You need to have good driving at putting,» said Reymon Jaraula, one of the four aces in the fold who are gunning for a second victory in the season about to end, the three others being Tony Lascuña, Rupert Zaragosa and Jhonnel Ababa.

«It's a short course,» added the runaway winner at Valley last June after yesterday's traditional pro-am tournament.

«The course is in tip-top condition,» said Zaragosa, who also dominated the Iloilo leg for his breakthrough PGT victory last March. «Your edge here is putting.»

Jaraula and Zaragosa test each other in the 8 a.m. on No. 1 in one of featured flights that includes Taiwanese Ting Yu Chen, an invitee of the organizing Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc. from the PGA Tour of Taiwan.

Ababa, who snapped a long title drought with a thrilling victory at Villamor Philippine Masters last May, drew Elmer Salvador and Art Arbole in the 7:40 a.m. group, also on the first hole, with Lascuña, who dominated the Caliraya Springs leg, teeing off next at 7:50 a.m. in the company of Dino Villanueva and Albin Engino.

But the leader — and the eventual winner — could emerge from any of the rest of the 55-player field, including