Tony Lascuña, Jay Bayron and Miguel Tabuena brace for an early shootout in the featured flight kicking off the P1.5 million ICTSI Rancho Palos Verdes Classic here today (Wednesday, July 1) where the local bets are tipped to slug it out for the crown at Rancho Palos Verdes Golf and Country Club in Davao City.

Though Lascuña, Bayron and a host of other Davaoeño players aren’t as familiar with the make-up of the Palos Verdes layout as that of the Apo course where they honed their talent and skills, they are still expected to crowd for top honors this week given the drive to play good on home turf.

“It would be nice to win again, especially here in Davao,” said Lascuña, who won five legs last year but remained winless after seven stops of this year’s ICTSI Philippine Golf Tour. “It’s a bit frustrating coming out empty-handed each tournament despite playing solid golf. But with a little luck, I hope to finally start winning again this week.”

But the reigning three-time Order of Merit winner will be facing a crack field beefed by the return of ICTSI Luisita champion Charles Hong and veteran Cassius Casas, another local ace also out to end a year-long spell on the circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.

Hong skipped last week’s event at Riviera won by Elmer Salvador, also from Davao, to compete on the Asian Development Tour while Casas, winner of two events last year, was sidelined by a hand injury.

Meanwhile, last year’s ICTSI Royal Northwoods winner Zanieboy Gialon served notice of his title bid when he led his team composed of amateurs Mayong Pillerin, Andy Ugduracion and Jaime Tan Jr. to victory in yesterday’s pro-am, pooling a 20-under 52 and nipping Anthony Fernando and teammates Danny Briones, Brian Davila and Wendell Adlao in the countback.

Jhonnel Ababa, with Patrick Tan, Toffee Tionko and Vince Arcenas, finished third with a 54.

Like Tabuena, Hong, from Cebu, will be trying to spoil the local bets’ title bid as he starts out at 10:30 a.m. on No. 1 in the company of Paul Miñoza and Ferdie Aunzo. Casas, on the other hand, drew an early tee-time of 7 a.m. with Artemio Murakami and Keanu Jahns on No. 10.

But focus will be on Lascuña, Bayron and Tabuena, who will also start at 7 a.m. on the first hole with Davaoeños Lascuña and Bayron raring to press their bid against their young rival, who ruled the kickoff leg at ICTSI Splendido.

Meantime, Salvador, seeking a second straight victory on the tour sponsored by ICTSI, will start at 10:20 a.m. on No. 1 with last year’s ICTSI Tournament Players Championship winner Mars Pucay and unheralded Rico Depilo.

Other local players to watch are Ababa, Rufino Bayron, Elmer Saban and Mhark Fernando with Davao-based American Micah Shin also fancied to join the chase for the top P270,000 purse in the 72-hole championship.

A slew of foreign players are also in the fold, including Koreans Gyuha Park, Anthony Kim, Seok Jun Min, Yoon Chun Byung, Hong Soon Hyup. Lee Hyun Woo, Park Jun Song, Woo Seong Bin and Min Byungki while last year’s leg winners Arnold Villacencio, Clyde Mondilla and Joenard Rates set out for a follow-up to their victories at Summit Point, Canlubang and John Hay, respectively.