Philippine Airlines Interclub men’s regular championship reels off Wednesday
with Canlubang Golf and Country Club going for another three-peat and Manila
Southwoods Golf and Country as determined to foil that bid.
There are 18 other teams in the championship division,
including Del Monte, Forest Hills and San Francisco’s Crystal Spring, but only
Cangolf and Southwoods have the men to battle it out for top honors.
Seeing action for the Sugar Barons are Jonel Ababa, Rufino
Bayron, Mark Fernando, Joseph Labajo, Mario Labajo, Jessie Balasabas, Paul
Echavez, Sunnyboy Gialon, John Nelson Huerva IV and Peter Villaber.
Expected to oppose them are Southwoods bets Anthony Fernando,
Tonton Asistio, Gene Bondoc, Jun Jun Plana, Justin Limjap, Miggy Yee, Mikko Yee,
Benjie Sarmiento, Il Jun Chun and Chuckie Hong.
Fifty-seven other teams are playing this year. They will also
go for the team and individual trophies in the Founders, Sportswriters and
Friendship divisions in the tournament launched in 1948 to provide additional
golf events for its clientele.
Hosting the event are the Negros Occidental Golf and Country
Club here and the Bacolod Golf and Country Club in Binitin, Murcia 25 kilometers
east of here.
"We believe the guys who could cope with the tight fairways
and tough-to-read greens have a good chance of winning," said Cangolf team
official Darly Patalot after watching the hitting of ceremonial drives and
attending the team captains’ meeting Tuesday.
Manila Southwoods skipper Thirdy Escano agreed.: "Both
courses are short but challenging. And while Canlubang is the favorite, we feel
we also have the chance of winning it."
The hitting of ceremonial drives at Negros highlighted the
day’s activities in the tournament that has Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier, GE
Aviation, MTV Philippines and Solar ports as platinum sponsors.
NGCC treasurer Andy Montelibano had the honor. NGCC president
Epifanio Torre drove next, followed by Murcia Mayor Esteban "Sonny" Cos-colluela,
Bacolod Rep. Monico Puentebella and tournament chairman Domingo Duerme.
Later, Duerme announced that in the team captains’ meeting,
Davao City won the bid to host next year’s championship.
Cangolf won the seniors’ division crown last week. If it also
wins the men’s regular crown, it will join Luisita Golf and Country Club as the
only squads to have swept both majors three times in succession.
Action Asia, Business Mirror, Crossover, PACSPORTS and Royal
Caribbean are the tour-nament’s major sponsors with Fortune Tobacco, GECAS,
Mas-terCard, People Asia and RMN as corporate backers.
Completing the sponsorship are Bombo Radyo, Callaway Golf, Century Park
Hotel, Lufthansa Technik and Patio Pacific Boracay.
