STA. ROSA, Laguna — Six former champions, headlined by the country’s reigning toast of pro golf and reinforced by proven returnees and the brightest standouts from last season, converge at The Country Club (TCC) for what promises to be another riveting chapter in the storied Country Club Invitational, which fires off today (Tuesday) here.

More than a test of raw power and shot-making — hallmarks of the Philippine Golf Tour’s flagship event — this championship has long been a grueling examination of nerve, patience and competitive resolve. The exacting TCC layout has a reputation for exposing even the slightest lapse in judgment, producing dramatic and often unpredictable finishes that have defined the tournament’s legacy.

That volatility was on full display last year when Guido van der Valk stood on the brink of history, only to see a two-shot lead slip away on the final hole. His bid for a record-tying third title unraveled on the back nine, opening the door for Korean Minwook Gwon, who seized the moment and captured the crown in sudden death.

Such late twists are hardly anomalies at TCC, where survival over four demanding rounds is paramount and no advantage is secure — especially heading to the challenging par-4 18th. Long and relentlessly unforgiving, the closing hole is widely regarded as one of the toughest finishing tests in Asia, a final gatekeeper that has derailed countless title bids.

This year’s edition raises the stakes even higher, with a record P6.5-million prize fund on the line, including a winner’s purse of P2.2 million, the richest payout in the tournament’s history. The enhanced rewards have only intensified an already stacked field, one that many consider among the strongest ever assembled in the local pro circuit.

Miguel Tabuena, the 2017 champion, looms as the man to beat. Riding superb form and armed with intimate course knowledge, he enters as the tournament favorite. Yet even his familiarity with TCC offers no guarantees against a field brimming with depth, experience and hunger.

Chief among his challengers is Angelo Que, who begins the season with renewed focus after finally securing the elusive PGT Order of Merit crown. With two leg victories and a string of top-five finishes last year, the three-time Asian Tour winner now sets his sights on a record fourth TCC title. 

He first triumphed in 2007, followed by back-to-back victories in 2010 and 2011, and has come agonizingly close in several other attempts — falling short only in the closing stretch of these high-pressure battles.

Van der Valk, meanwhile, returns with unfinished business. Denied a historic feat last year, the multi-titled Dutchman remains firmly in the hunt for a third TCC crown, eager to rewrite the ending to his most painful near-miss.