Manila, April 9: Filipino star Angelo Que hopes to be the ace of the pack when he vies for a fourth Asian Tour title with a new set of equipment at the inaugural US$300,000 Solaire Open which gets underway on Thursday.
Que, a multiple Asian Tour winner but not since 2010, leads a strong line-up of local talents which includes decorated veteran golfer Frankie Minoza, Elmer Salvador, Jay Bayron, Antonio Lascuna and highly rated Miguel Tabuena at the venerable Wack Wack Golf and Country Club.
The bubbly Que reverted to a new set of equipment at the start of the 2013 Asian Tour season which resulted in a fourth place finish at the season-opening Zaykabar Myanmar Open in February.
Que insists there is still room for improvement in his game after missing his first cut in four Asian Tour events two weeks ago. He said he will need a bit of ‘luck’ to emulate his victory at the 2008 Philippine Open, which was staged at the same venue.
“So far I’m getting there with my new equipment. It is still early in the year. Every time you change equipment, you need time to adapt. I think I need a lot of luck to get my fourth win. I think anybody that wins need it. You also need every aspect of your game to click,” said the 34-year-old.
Que goes through a unique pre-game routine where he does not practice at the driving range as he believes in more ‘quality’ and not ‘quantity’ practice.
“I think one reason why I don’t exert so much effort in the driving range is because I’m not young anymore. I’ve always believed in quality and not quantity practice. I only spend time at the range when I’m working on something. If I don’t have anything to work on then I just chip and putt (20 or 30 minutes) before I play.
“Ever since I was a kid I’ve been doing that. In the Philippines back then, a lot of courses didn’t have driving ranges. It has been a routine since I was a kid so I didn’t want to change anything,” he smiled.
Tabuena is relishing a return to Wack Wack where he was in contention heading into the final round of the 2012 ICTSI Philippine Open before shooting an 81 to finish tied 11th. The 18-year-old has learnt from that experience and recently notched his third victory on the local circuit three weeks ago.
“It is nice being a host in your home country rather than just playing in an event. It’s a new event on the Asian Tour. I think it’s really good for the players as well as for the Asian Tour. I hope this tournament will go on for a long time,” said Tabuena.
“I know my priorities for this week which is to concentrate and get in position on Sunday. There are more expectations when you play at home. Your family come out and watch as well. It is nice to have your family around. Hopefully I can play well in front of them,” he added.
Unho Park of Australia, who is part of the 22 different nationalities this week, was delighted with the addition of the Solaire Open, which is one of two new Asian Tour events this year. The region’s premier Tour is also celebrating its 10th season in 2013.
“It’s great to have a new event on Tour. It’s not a new venue. We’ve played here for a couple of times over the years. I’ve been struggling with my golf game lately but I’ve had a bit of off time and rested for a bit. I just hope to make it up there somewhere during the week,” said Park, who has been an Asian Tour member since 2001.
Filipino veteran Lascuna, who finished a career high of 12th placing on the Asian Tour Order of Merit last season, struggled with a back injury earlier this year but is 80% recovered after returning to his hometown in Davao for a therapeutic massage.
“I needed to rest my body last week. I feel good now. Last year was a really good year for me and it all comes down to practice. I still hit at least 500 golf balls a day and play five times of golf a week. I think if I can get off to two good rounds, I can win this event,” said the 42-year-old, who is aiming for a first Asian Tour win.
