2012 ICTSI Philippine Golf Tour schedule announced

A souped-up circuit, complete with a record-high 17 tournaments and a Ryder-Cup style duel, will fire off next week as the ICTSI-Philippine Golf Tour holds its season-opening leg at the cool and scenic course of the Splendido Taal Golf and Country Club in Tagaytay City.   “We are happy to have added five new legs [the tour had 12 in 2011], making it a 17-stage circuit,” said Colo Ventosa, general manager of the organizing Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.     After Splendido, Camp John Hay at the chilly mountains of Bagiuio City will be the venue of the second leg on April 18 to 20, followed Sherwood Hills on April 25 to 28 and Manila Southwoods on June 27 to 30.   And on May 28 to June 1, a novel North versus South duel, pitting the top pros from Luzon against the best of Visayas and Mindanao face-off in a Ryder Cup-style format at the Alabang Country Club.   “It’s going to be a busy season.  The competition will be tougher with the participation of more local pros and we are looking forward to another successful season,” Ventosa also said.   Eagle Ridge will also provide a different kind of challenge for the touring pros when it hosts a leg for the first time on May 23-25 for the ICTSI Eagle Ridge Invitational.   The seventh leg will be the ICTSI Eastridge Classic on June 6-8 at Eastridge in Binangonan, followed by the ICTSI Classic at Mt. Malarayat in Lipa, Batangas on June 20-22, the ICTSI Negros Occidental Classic on July 18-20 and the ICTSI Iloilo Golf Challenge on July 25-27.   ICTSI Pueblo de Oro (Aug. 8-10), the ICTSI Rancho Palos Verdes Classic (Aug. 15-17), the Aboitiz Invitational (Sept. 5-8), ICTSI Orchard Golf Championship (Sept. 12-15), ICTSI Calatagan Challenge (Oct. 24-26), ICTSI Canlubang Golf Invitational (Nov. 14-16) and the ICTSI Wack Wack Championship (Dec. 12-15) round out the rest of the schedule. - AMD, GMA News