Touring pros face Lakewood’s unfamiliar terrains

MANILA, Philippines — The untested layout notwithstanding, the men of the Philippine Golf Tour brace for a spirited duel of ball control, precision and accuracy when the ICTSI Lakewood Championship kicks off tomorrow in Nueva Ecija.

The Lakewood Golf and Country Club in Cabanatuan City is hosting a tournament of this caliber for the first time, presenting a new kind of challenge with its unfamiliar terrain and greens, which levels the playing field for the country’s leading players and rising stars.

While the cast has played the course once or twice during practice rounds, several pros get their last chance to re-familiarize themselves with the 7,049-yard layout in today’s traditional pro-am tournament, where they will be paired with amateur guests of the sponsoring ICTSI and event’s supporters.

The course boasts multi-bunker fairways interconnected by 16 man-made lakes serving as water hazards, emphasizing the importance of course management.

While the seasoned campaigners look to dominate, the young talents aim to sustain their impressive performance from the last PGT leg in the Philippine Masters, where Hyun Ho Rho slugged it out with veteran Angelo Que in a thrilling duel before losing steam in the stretch, settling for a runner-up finish.