PILIPINAS Golf Tournaments, Inc. has moved the last two legs of the third season of the PGT Philippine Golf Tour Asia at Eagle Ridge Golf and Country Club in Cavite, citing the health and safety of the players, caddies and tournament staff after the alert level around Taal Volcano was raised several notches within hours on Sunday.
“In the interest of the health and safety of all players, caddies and tournament staff, the PGTA Tournament Committee has decided to re-schedule this event to a future date,” said the PGTI in a statement.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology raised the danger level to 4 hours after the volcano spewed a giant ash plume on Sunday.
The $100,000 ICTSI Eagle Ridge Invitational, originally scheduled to start today on Tuesday at Aoki course, serves as the penultimate leg of the 2019 PGT Asia with the last tournament for the season set next week also at Eagle Ridge, which is just 20 kilometers away from Taal Volcano.
The tournament field had 91 players, including 46 bets from 14 nations.
Eagle Ridge general manager Antonio Ocampo said the sprawling Eagle Ridge Golf and Country Club, which has four courses, is in shape despite the ashfall and is ready to host the event. In fact, it was business as usual at the country’s largest golfing facility on Monday with hundreds, mostly foreign golfers, playing a round or two.
But PGTI has put premium on the safety of the participants. It said next week’s scheduled event will instead be held at Pradera Verde Golf and Country Club in Lubao, Pampanga, and this week’s tournament to be moved to a later date and a venue somewhere in north.