Guido Van der Valk hopes to compete well enough to become the first back-to-back champion. — PICTURE CONTRIBUTIONS
A cast of 30 elite players kicks off Tuesday, kicking off the fight for survival—and a $2 million paycheck—when The Country Club (TCC) Invitational tees off on a pitch ready to beat. talent playground again.
Dutchman Guido Van der Valk will hit for a second straight win and has chosen to describe the four rounds as a “fight against the court” as he technically hit the first to win the title. won 72 holes in a row after lifting the trophy in 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down domestic sports.
“TCC is so hard that you really have to fight the pitch,” said Van der Valk, a longtime resident of the Philippines, as he tried the 7,256-yard layout for the last time on Monday during the traditional Pro-Am tournament. . “It’s been a tough ride for everyone—no matter who enters the tournament.”
The course was redesigned by golf patron Ricky Razon to offer the fiercest test in the country, with former Philippine Open champion Miguel Tabuena winning in 2017 over Juvic Pagunsan with a total score of 13 out of 301.
Van der Valk adds: “Your whole game needs to be good—the handlebars and irons are long because the track is long, the game is short because no matter how well you play, you will miss the green,” says Van der Valk. more.
Tom Kim, who is now the star in the American Professional Golfers’ Association Tournament, came close to parity when he won in 2019, with a total score of 290.
Clyde Mondilla, who won the PH Open in 2019 on the same course, knows that to win one has to be close to perfection this week.
“We all know that the TCC is demanding precisely and that is a challenge for us. To get a good score, you have to be good at everything—driving, billiards, short games and putting the ball,” said Mondilla, Del Monte’s long-distance ace who wants to win the event for the first time, said.
Pagunsan, Frankie Miñoza, Antonio Lascuña and Micah Shin are among the former champions also competing this week, with Pagunsan looking to win a fourth and tie with absent Angelo Que for the most wins at the tournament. This.
Another former winner who will be absent from the event is Tabuena, who like Que had previously committed to competing in the Middle East. request
Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your registration has been successful.
Continue reading
Register QUESTIONER PLUS to get access to The Philippine Daily Inquirer and more than 70 other titles, share up to 5 gadgets, listen to news, download as early as 4am and share articles on social media. Call 896 6000.
For feedback, complaints or requests, Contact us.
