VETERAN Japanese professional Toru Nakajima leads the quest for Philippine Golf Tour cards in the PGT Qualifying School which will be held March 5-8 at the South Pacific and Leisure Estates in Davao CIty.
At stake are 30 slots for outright membership in the local tour and the competition has attracted 38 foreign players from nearby countries as well as a few entries from the United States and Australia.
Several local players are also teeing it up to earn back cards or, like a few others, play pro golf for the first time.
Nakajima, however, is the biggest name in the field. The Japanese had previously topped the PGT Q-School at Eagle Ridge in Gen. Trias in Cavite in 2015 and also the 2016 QS at Royal Northwoods in San Rafael, Bulacan.
He also had won the PGT leg at Wack Wack in 2013 and competed in the Philippine Masters at Villamor last year, where he finished tied for 25th. After that, Nakajima disappeared from the local golf scene and lost his card in the process.
Besides Nakajima, the foreign lineup includes Americans Riley Keagle and Kolin Wheeler, and US amateurs Drew Proctor and Ryan Ku. Also playing are Australians Nathan Park and Peter Stojanovski, Koreans Minwoo Kim and Tae Soo Kim, Malaysians Dhakshin Manirajan and Kiishan Tharmalingam, and Japanese Ueda Daiki and Kei Matsuoka.
Filipinos trying to get acards are amateurs Aidric Chan, Lanz Uy, Luigi Wong and Ryan Monsalve, al Enzo Fregil, Marc Lu, Vince Lusterio, Jr., Tom Marcelo, Francis Mendez, Edmar Salvador, Jr., Niño Soberano, Airon Sorino, Sean Ty and Michael Uy.
The local pros will be bannered by Kristoffer Arevalo, Josh Jorge, Leandro Bagtas, Jonas Magcalayo, Ivan Monsalve, Enrico Gallardo, Edward Reyes Carlos Packing, Rufino Bayron, Anthony Fernando, Elmer Saban and Mhark Fernando.
The new season, sponsored by ICTSI, begins on March 12-15 at the Apo Golf and Country Club. The second leg will be at Palos Verdes Golf and Club on March 19-22. Both events are set in Davao City.
The third and fourth legs will at Caliraya Springs Golf Club in Cavinti, Laguna on April 9-12 and at the Valley Golf Club in Antipolo on May 7-10, respectively.
The Ladies circuit, played over three days, will be held simultaneously with the men's tournament.
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