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SENTOSA,
Singapore—Filipino Angelo Que will be counting on his
recent winning form to carry him to a memorable debut at
the British Open at Royal Birkdale in Southport,
England, this week.
The
Asian Tour stalwart will be the first player from his
country to play in the world’s oldest major since 1998,
when the legendary Frankie Minoza also featured at the
same venue.
The
bubbly Que is riding high in confidence after ending a
four-year title drought on the Asian Tour in April when
he claimed a famous victory at the Philippine Open and
he subsequently won another event on home soil last
week.
“Every
time you win a tournament, the confidence level just
shoots up way high,” said Que. “You think you can do
anything. Even if it is just a small event, winning is
still winning. I’ve been riding on that and I’ve been
playing well in the past few months.
“Right
now, I’m hanging on to it and, hopefully, I can hang on
to it for the British Open and for the next few years.”
Que, one
of the livewires on the Asian Tour with his bubbly
personality, will join his country’s most celebrated
golfing stars, including Larry Montes, Celestino Tugot
and Ben Arda, who have enjoyed the privilege of winning
the Philippine Open and competing in the British Open.
For Que,
being in the same company as the country’s golf legends
is a treat. “It is a big deal for me to qualify for the
world’s oldest Open,” said Que, who was in a three-way
play-off for two Open tickets at Sentosa Golf Club,
Singapore in March.
“It has
been a dream come true for me. I’ve always wanted to
play in a Major and now, I finally can. I will feature
in a very big and important event, it’s going to be
special.
“When I
qualified, I wasn’t that excited as I am right now. I’m
kind of feeling it and after watching Artemio [Murakami]
play in the US Open last month, it has inspired me even
more and I’m looking forward to the Open. Playing on the
Asian Tour has certainly helped in preparing me for the
big stage,” said Que.
As a
debutant on links golf, Que knows that he will face some
rough times at Royal Birkdale in his hopes to play in
all four rounds, and possibly challenge for a top-10
finish.
“I’ve
not played links courses before and I’m going to play a
few courses before heading up to Birkdale to get a feel
for it. I’ve been hitting the ball quite solidly and my
putting has been really good. I’ve switched to a new
driver with a lower loft to tackle the winds and it’s
taking some time for me to adjust to it.
“I’ve
heard that you have to learn to play in the wind and
when it blows, you can’t stand still when you’re trying
to putt. I’ve practiced a bit on windy courses at home
to try and get ready, but I know it won’t be the same.
“If you
look at the percentages, first-timers don’t usually make
the cut in the majors. So my main goal will be to make
the cut, or even if I miss it, I want to give myself a
chance,” said Que.
Ultimately, Que knows that a good performance against
the world’s best players at Royal Birkdale will go a
long way in promoting the game in his native
Philippines. He said that since last year, the country
has been abuzz following three wins on the Asian Tour by
Filipino players.
“It has
been buzzing back home. After Frankie won the Philippine
Open last year, Artemio and Juvic [Pagunsan] also won on
the Asian Tour. And then I won earlier this year and
it’s been opening doors for us back home. Now, courses
are opened to professionals to practice, which wasn’t
the case previously.
“We’ve
shown that we can compete and now I feel the game is
growing in the Philippines as people show more interest
in golf again.”
Rosales
to ‘keep fighting’
AT 11
stRokes behind the leader, Jennifer Rosales has a very
slim chance of winning. But if she shoots in the low
60s on Sunday, there’s a great chance of opening the
doors to the Women’s British Open.
Rosales
shot a two-under-par 69 for a 54-hole aggregate of 206
and was tied at 15th position alongside four other
Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) stars after
three rounds of the 24th Jamie Farr Owens Corning
Classic in Sylvania, Ohio.
Although
she trails American Paula Creamer by 11, Rosales still
has a shot at one of the five spots at stake for the
Women’s British Open. That is, if she finishes in the
top five.
With 18
holes left, Rosales said that “anything is possible.”
“I like
it where I am now. I’m just three shots from fifth
place. I have to keep fighting until the last hole.
I’ve gone this far, and I don’t want to lose this one
window of prospect,” Rosales told the BUSINESSMIRROR via
overseas call.
Rosales,
seeking her first LPGA title this year, made four
birdies overall but was hampered with a bogey in each of
the nines at the moderately easy Highland Meadows Golf
Club.
“I have
to improve on hitting the fairways. It’s been boggling
me since day one. In 54 holes, I’ve managed only 34
hits. That’s way too low an average,” the 30-year-old
veteran said.
China’s Liang Wen-chong, the reigning Asian Tour Order of
Merit champion, Thailand’s Prayad Marksaeng, Malaysia’s
Danny Chia, Lam Chih Bing of Singapore, Yoshinobu
Tsukada and Australians Adam Blyth and Scott Strange are
the other Asian Tour members who will compete in the
British Open next week. |
