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TWO days
before the 92nd Philippine Open, Filipino golf icon
Frankie Miñoza admits he’s not been putting pretty well,
something that has bothered him the past two months.
Sensing
imminent danger, Miñoza turns to an old-hand and
long-time mentor Roger Retuerto.
“There
seems to be a pull that’s coming from your right wrist.
I think we need to get rid of that bad habit,” Retuerto
told Miñoza during the practice round for the Open
Tuesday.
The
48-year-old Filipino golf superstar is not taking any
chances for a second consecutive and third overall RP
Open title, a reputation that will elevate him to the
ranks of former Filipino greats Celestino Tugot and
Larry Montes as the only back-to-back winners of the
event.
“Besides
my coach’s guidance, I’ve also borrowed a putter with a
large grip from a friend back home. I hope it serves me
well,” Miñoza said during the “Meet the Press” media
conference at the Wack Wack Golf and Country Club.
When
asked if he had tried the putter at the Wack Wack’s East
course, again the site of this year’s Open, Miñoza
replied: “Oh yes, I got a feel of it yesterday
[Monday]. I really don’t know if it can help me through
the week. If the putter can hold until Sunday, that
will be good for me,” he said.
Miñoza,
however, is wary of another problem besides his
putting.
“In my
opinion, whoever could overcome the challenging
7,053-yard East layout of Wack Wack would be the
champion,” Miñoza said.
The
fabled East, home to practically more than half of the
RP Opens, has been getting good reviews, especially from
last year’s runner-up Gerald Rosales, for its readiness
for Asia’s oldest and prestigious national championship,
thanks to the maintenance of Wack Wack’s grounds
committee.
“The
East is in excellent shape. This is the best-ever East
course in recent years,” Rosales told the BusinessMirror.
Miñoza
will face a strong field, which includes compatriots
Rosales, Artemio Murakami, Juvic Pagunsan and Angelo Que,
who qualified for his first British Open in Singapore
last week.
Other
Asian Tour contenders will include Thai stalwart Thaworn
Wiratchant, Indian Digvijay Singh, who is ranked 10th on
the Asian Tour’s Order of Merit, Scott Barr of
Australia, Asian Tour International winner Lin Wen-tang
of Chinese Taipei and Korea’s Lee Sung.
A return
to the East course brings back fond memories for Miñoza
and he knows the venue will pose another stern test this
week.
“The
biggest rival out there is the golf course. The players
are your partners but the course is your true opponent.
It will be myself against the course. That’s how I will
approach the game and that’s how it’s going to be this
week,” said Miñoza, who also triumphed in 1998.
Compatriot Rosales feels right at home playing in front
of his home fans and hopes to thwart his more renowned
compatriot this week. “It’s always good to produce a
strong result in front of the local fans. The condition
is at its best, so it will be an exciting week.
Familiarity with the course will be my advantage as this
place is very close to home,” said Rosales, who won the
2000 edition.
Australia’s Barr, one of the few players tipped for a
winning breakthrough on the Asian Tour this season, is
showing the kind of form that could well see him end the
week atop the leaderboard.
He has
made the cut in his last five events, with two top-15s
in the bag. “I am enjoying a good run now and my game is
getting better through each event. The course is
beautifully set up. I think keeping it steady with good
course management will see low scores but it won’t be an
easy task.
“This
course is known to be very tricky as well so it looks
like I will have to ask Frankie for tips for a good
week,” said the Singapore-based Barr, who produced six
top-10s in the 2007 season.
The
Philippine Open, sponsored by Philippine Amusement and
Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), Philippine Airlines and
Stradcom, Crowne Plaza Galleria, Johnnie Walker, 100
Plus, Srixon and Pin High, is sanctioned by the Asian
Tour and National Golf Association of Philippines and
supported by the Philippine Department of Tourism. |
