Rains up difficulty level at Summit Point tourney

Angelo Que: Patience needed. —CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Angelo Que, the PGT’s reigning Order of Merit champion, sampled the Summit Point layout for the first time in the traditional Pro-Am of the P2.5 million event on a rainy Monday and thinks this one intangible will be key to whoever wants to win by the end of the week.

“They need to have the patience to play this demanding layout in the rain,” the 47-year-old Que told the Inquirer as he tees off at the Summit Point Championship as one of the title favorites in the 72-hole championship at the rain-softened layout in Lipa, Batangas. “That will be crucial because the rains add another layer of difficulty to the course.”

Practically all of the big guns are playing, counting Justin Quiban, who had a PGA Tour stint in the United States more than a month back, making for a wide-open race.

“I think knowing where to miss will be very critical,” Que continued as he seeks to win for the second time this season after his one-shot escape at Caliraya Springs over Antonio Lascuña. “The course is playing really tough, and if it’s any consolation, I like playing tough courses.”

Meanwhile, the accompanying P1 million, 54-hole ladies championship also gets off the ground on Tuesday with Yvon Bisera listed as one of the players to beat.

Lascuña is also entered and forms part of the veterans brigade in the field together with Que, Michael Bibat and Jonel Ababa, among others.

“It’s going to be a more demanding week because the rains have made the course play longer,” Lascuña, a five-time OOM winner, said over the weekend.

The brightest young talents led by Asian Games-bound Carl Corpus, Aidric Chan and Sean Ramos are players to watch, together with Jeff Lumbo and Keanu Jahns, the big-hitting Filipino-German seeking to win for the first time this season after tying with Que with three last year.

Jahns finished third at Lakewood, before checking in sixth at Caliraya Springs and stumbling to joint 28th at Pinewoods. Finishing third at Pradera Verde could provide him the momentum he needs in Batangas. INQ