Que sets out to unlock an achievement at Luisita

Angelo Que would want to win at least one event at fabled Luisita. —CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Angelo Que is coming off a win in his last tournament and hopes to ride his form from that all the way to a target that has been elusive in his storied career.

“I have never won here,” Que said as he eyes a first victory at fabled Luisita when the BingoPlus Philippine Asian Development Tour Open gets off the ground at the tree-lined layout that remains to be one of the toughest tests in golf in the land. “But after playing it [Tuesday during the Pro-Am] this is a much-tougher course from how I remember it.”

The 47-year-old, the reigning Order of Merit champ of the Philippine Golf Tour, has numerous victories all over the country counting a PH Open at Wack Wack East in 2008, and just a couple of weeks back, a come-from-behind triumph at Caliraya Springs early in the new local season.

“But this is different, because this course has a lot of history also,” Que, also a three-time Asian Tour winner, told the Inquirer as he tees off in the 11:50 a.m. group at hole No. 10 together with Poom Pattaropong and Aman Raj.

“It just played longer today because of the soft fairways, and that will definitely be a factor,” he added. “Plus the greens were a little slow [in the Pro-Am] and they (organizers) can make it difficult if they speed it up for the next few days.”

Mental challenge

Luisita is a Robert Trent Jones-designed beauty inside the vast sugar plantation of the Cojuangcos. It is as exclusive as can be and poses a great challenge not only physically but also mentally.

Hole No. 17 remains to be the signature hole. It is as stunning and as dangerous as any par-3 in the land can get, as it measures well over 214 yards when totally stretched out, with the players needing to clear a huge lagoon and land their tee shots on a small green.

“I really can’t see a winning score right now,” Que said when asked what it would take to take home the trophy. “All I know is that this will be a tough week.”

There are 46 Filipinos entered in the 132-strong field, with the top two local finishers to get slots to the $2 million International Series PH Open set in November at Manila Southwoods.

Also, now helping a number of pros, Que lists Sean Ramos, one of his students, and Keanu Jahns as the other local players to watch.

There’s also Clyde Mondilla, another former PH Open winner who has the length to navigate the traditional layout.