Bracing himself for a grind, Guido van der Valk has dedicated significant effort honing his skills in preparation for his title defense in The Country Club Invitational, which gets going Jan. 23 at the TCC in Canlubang.

Having reigned in the last two editions of the country’s premier championship, the Manila-based Dutchman remains cautious about the formidable competition, notwithstanding his impressive five-stroke romp over Lloyd Go last year.

He nailed his first TCC Invitational crown via the hard way, hacking out a one-stroke victory over Clyde Mondilla in 2020 before the Philippine Golf Tour’s flagship tournament was postponed for two years due to pandemic.

As part of the exclusive field composed of former champions and the Top 30 in the previous year’s PGT Order of Merit rankings, van der Valk anticipates a fierce contest for top honors, considering the elite cast and the challenges posed by the TCC course.

“I’m hoping for a good week. It’s going to be a great test of golf as The Country Club always is,” he said.

Meanwhile, a select group of pros will acquaint themselves with the TCC layout tomorrow (Monday, Jan. 22) for the traditional pro-am tournament, partnering with TCC members and amateur guests of the sponsoring ICTSI.

Recognizing the demanding conditions, including the course’s length, the defending champion meticulously worked on refining every aspect of his game during the break, collaborating with his coach over the holidays.

“I had my coach over here during the holidays, so had some work done. Hoping it will all fall into place before the tournament,” said van der Valk.

The rest also look forward to a gripping test of will and character given the demanding conditions with three-time champion Angelo Que, alongside former titlists Tony Lascuña and Miguel Tabuena, also gearing up for the challenge.

Jhonnel Ababa, who topped the PGT OOM derby last year with two leg victories and a number of Top 10 finishes, Mondilla, Reymon Jaraula, Ruperto Zaragosa III, Dino Villanueva, Michael Bibat, Marvin Dumandan, Sean Ramos and Go are equally determined to secure a breakthrough win in the P6 million championship organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. and supported by PGTI’s official apparel Kampfortis Golf.

“Just looking forward to another fight against a great field of players. It would be a great honor to win again, but I know there will be a lot of guys out there trying to stop me,” said van der Valk.

A mix of seasoned campaigners and rising stars are also in the hunt for the top P2 million purse in the 72-hole championship launched by ICTSI chairman/CEO Ricky Razon in 2003. They include Keanu Jahns, Zanieboy Gialon, Albin Engino, Nilo Salahog, Jay Bayron, Elmer Salvador, Koreans Hyun Ho Rho and Minseong Kim, Fidel Concepcion, Rico Depilo, Elee Bisera, Art Arbole, Mars Pucay, Gerald Rosales, Gabriel Manotoc and Ferdie Aunzo.