The crack Asian Development Tour field primes up not only for a four-day duel of shotmaking, iron play and putting with the local aces in the Aboitiz Invitational firing off tomorrow (Wednesday) but also with the Wack Wack East course that has been spruced up to championship form for a true test of golf.

Although relatively flat, the par-72, 7053-yard layout remains as tough as ever with its tight fairways, hazards that lurk in every corner and trifling putting surface tipped to bring out the best and worst from every player in the $100,000 event put up by Aboitiz Equity Ventures, Inc.

It will also be a battle of wits with some holes requiring conservative play and patience, including the signature par-3 188-yard No. 8 with an elevated green more than 5 meters high with six bunkers, long considered as the “make-or-break” hole even for the season pros.

“We have been taking care of the East over the past months and have maintained its tough conditions up to this day,” said Sen. JV Ejercito, also the president of the former home of the Philippine Open.

“At least four holes would require conservative,” he added, referring to No. 8 and the last three holes at the back. “The usual long carry is needed but the fairways are tight, the roughs are in medium cut and the greens are difficult but fair.”

That should guarantee an action-packed duel among the men of the ADT, headed by all but one of the Top 10 players in the current ADT Order of Merit ranking and the country’s leading players, including two-time champion Elmer Salvador and former titlists Jay Bayron and Tony Lascuña.

Jobim Carlos also primed up for the championship, leading his team composed of Mulong Santos, Adrian Tan and Danny Flores to pro-am victory with a 16-under 56 yesterday. Jerson Balasabas, with partners Stephen Gan, Oliver Gan and Chris Tiu pooled a 60 then nipped Indonesian Ian Andrew and partners Tootsie de Jesus, Hubert Lim and SP Sumulong in the countback for second.

Some of the leading players tested the course in yesterday’s pro-am while the rest will take their turn today, all hoping to at least familiarize themselves with the toughest holes, particularly from the first timers.

“It’s going to be tough but the Filipinos have the edge here, given our local knowledge of the course,” said Lascuna, taking the cudgels for the hosts in the absence of Rio-bound Miguel Tabuena, Angelo Que and last year’s champion Juvic Pagunsan.

ADT OOM frontrunner Pavit Tangkamolprasert of Thailand, winner of the Yeangder ADT in Taiwan last March, is spearheading the foreign challenge along with No. 2 Johannes Veerman of the US, No. 3 Gavin Green of Australia, No. 4 Itthipat Buranatanyarat and No. 5 Poom Saksansin, both of Thailand.

The Filipinos have ruled the first five editions of the annual event backed by ICTSI and co-organized by ADT and Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. but the hosts could be in for a tough week with the elite foreign field all focused for the top $17,500 purse staked in the 72-hole championship.

Green and Swede Oscar Zetterwall, No. 7 in the OOM, are actually eyeing a second win here after the former won the ICTSI Manila Southwoods Championship and the latter dominating the ICTSI Sherwood Hills Classic, both last April.

Others tipped to contend are American Nick Sherwood, Thai Panuwat Muenlek, George Gandranata of Indonesia, John Michael O’Toole and Josh Salah of the US, Chanat Sakulpolphaisan, Rattanon Wanasrichan and Wisut Artjanawat of Thailand, American Blake Snyder and Scot James Byrne.

But the locals are dead-set to keep the Aboitiz crown at home with veteran Frankie Miñoza hoping to dish out the form he flaunted in humbling Tabuena to win the ICTSI Negros Occidental Classic crown in a record five-hole playoff.

Miñoza has also a winning tradition at Wack Wack, having captured his second Philippine Open crown in 2007, making him one of the top contenders in the event supported by Custom Clubmakers, adidas, KZG, Summit Mineral Water, Srixon, Pacsports, TaylorMade, Sharp and Champion.