Manila, February 7: Filipino Jay Bayron will be seeking for redemption when he tees up in the ICTSI Philippine Open, Asia’s oldest national championship, which starts on Thursday.

Pictured: Guido Van Der Valk, Jay Bayron, Miguel Tabuena, Kieran Pratt

The local hero was pipped at the finish line by American Berry Henson at the Wack Wack Golf and Country Club’s East course some nine months ago and he can’t wait to take another crack at the US$300,000 Asian Tour event. 

A top field of Asian Tour champions and stars from no fewer than 25 nationalities will gather for the season’s second leg, including last week’s winner Kieran Pratt of Australia, Japan’s Tetsuji Hiratsuka, ranked second on the Order of Merit last season, Thailand’s Thaworn Wiratchant and former Philippine Open champions Angelo Que, Elmer Salvador, Gerald Rosales, Artemio Murakami and Frankie Minoza. 

The ICTSI Philippine Open will also be beamed live for the first time on the Asian Tour’s global television platform which reaches over 200 countries this week. 

“I would really like to win the ICTSI Philippine Open,” said Bayron today. 

“I’ll do everything to try to replicate what I did last year. I finished one stroke short of the winner. You need to play with your head on the East course as the conditions are harder this year. If I ever win the Philippine Open, I’ll concentrate more on the Asian Tour especially now that I have a full card.” 

He recalled his stunning eagle at the par four second hole during last year’s final round which saw him lead in front of large galleries before being overhauled by Henson, who needed a gutsy par save on the last hole for a one-shot victory. 

“I remember the eagle from 115 yards with a pitching wedge. But the golf course is very hard and difficult this year as the rough is high. It’ll be a strong test,” said Bayron, who earned his Asian Tour card this season with a top-40 finish at the Qualifying School in Thailand last month.

Talented 17-year-old Miguel Tabuena aims to erase last year’s painful memories of missing the cut in his first appearance in the Open as a professional. After a challenging rookie season on the Asian Tour where he missed out on a full Tour card by a mere US$250 on the rankings, the Filipino is determined to shine in front of his home fans. 

“I always dream about winning the Open. A Filipino should try to win his home championship,” said the bubbly Tabuena, who is the youngest member on the Asian Tour. “It’s special if you can win it as a lot of people will recognize you. Hopefully I’ll be the champion.” 

Coached by Manila-based Canadian Rick Gibson, who won the Philippine Open in 2002, Tabuena said he has put in extra work on his short game in preparation of a title assault this week. 

“Working with Rick, I now know what it needs to be a tournament champion. He’s told me a slogan that I will always remember which is to ‘play your best and accept the rest.’ I took a lot out of last year. The players have told me to work hard and it really pays off in the long run. I won’t give up,” said the teenager. 

Still on a high after winning the season-opening Zaykabar Myanmar Open presented by Air Bagan, Pratt plans to ride on his rich vein of form and contend at Wack Wack where he missed the cut last year. 

“Certainly winning breeds confidence. I’m looking forward to going out there and seeing what I can do,” said Pratt, who dedicated his Myanmar win to his Victorian Institute of Sports coach Ramsay McMaster who unexpectedly passed away at the end of last year. 

”Your goal is the same, which is to win the golf tournament that you’re playing. I’m looking forward to playing in the bigger events and plan out my schedule which will be perhaps more lucrative than the one I had planned before I played Myanmar. 

“You can fall into a trap after playing well, perhaps not working hard enough after winning. But these are the things you learn in amateur golf. Last year, I didn’t play well and now I’ve got a good start and nothing in my mindset will change, particularly from the win. It’ll just open doors and I’m going to try and walk through them.” 

Dutchman Guido Van Der Valk, who secured his Asian Tour card at the final tournament last year with a tied sixth finish at a star-studded Thailand Golf Championship, hopes to start his 2012 campaign off on a strong footing. 

“Last year was great for me. I was no where (on the Order of Merit) and I got my card through playing at Amata Spring. The course is in such good condition. It’s a joy to play it. The greens are pure and it’s always a good challenge to beat Wack Wack as it’s such a tough track. I’m really looking forward to it.

“I went back to Holland for three weeks and had four weeks off in total at the end of last year.I did some good work with Shane Ward who is on the bag this week. I am really striking it good. I can’t wait for my season to start.” 

Source: Asian Tour Media Release, powered by the Golfblogger Network