90 teams sign up for Club Filipino golf

A total of 90 teams have confirmed to join the 70th anniversary tournament of Club Filipino Incorporada de Cebu on September 8 to 10 at the CFIC course in Pulangyuta, Danao City.

The event will follow a four-man team format with the scores of all players to count in the Stableford Scoring System. A member of the host club shall lead each team and the three remaining slots will be for the guests.

This event is held to celebrate of the founding of Club Filipino back in 1935 through a decree by Pres. Manuel L. Quezon of the Philippine Commonwealth. Quezon, who came to Cebu on that year, encouraged the Cebuanos to form a club that will be for the Filipino community thus Club Filipino was born.

In the early days of the club, prison labor was even used to help maintain its natural rolling terrain in uptown Cebu, which is now the Cebu Business Park.

Renato V. Osmeña, president of CFIC, said that they expect a huge delegation of golfers from the Visayas and Mindanao area aside from several players coming from abroad to just play in the four-day, 36-hole competition.

This tournament has been made possible with the support of San Miguel Corporation as platinum sponsor.

Also making this possible is Pansit Malabon Express as gold sponsor. Major backers are A.D. Gothong Manufacturing, Stocks R' Us, Cebu Mitsumi Corporation, Ricor Mill Corp., Petron Corp., Profoods International Corp., and Gothong Southern Logistics.

Also supporting the tournament are TIC International/Puyat Steel Corp., Gulf Bunker Oil for Less, Cebu Holdings Inc., Jumbolon Phils. Inc., Insuphil, Bank of Commerce, Alegre Beach Resort, RCTV/Media One, Cebu Pacific Air, Y101, Cebu Bionic Builders Supply Inc., Philippine Airlines, Qatar Airways, and Nine Coast Enterprises.

Casino Filipino is also taking part in the tournament as a sponsor of the awards night.

At stake for a hole-in-one will be a Honda CRV on the front nine and a Honda Accord on the back nine. There are two par-3 holes on each nine of the course designed by the late Peter Chiongbian, who is referred to by many Cebuano golfers as Maestro. The hole-in-one sponsors are Honda Cars Cebu, Skygo, and Qatar Airways.

There will be prizes for the overall champion team and the top three finishers of three handicap categories. The team with the best score on the first round and the one with the best score on the second round will also get special recognition.

The August 1 handicaps of the players will be used.

Those guests, whose club does not belong to the Regional handicapping Network of four golf clubs in Cebu, must bring a handicap certification.

The clubs that are part of the RHN are CFIC, Alta Vista, Cebu Country Club, and Mactan Coral Golf Club.

Organizers of the tournament together with some representatives of the sponsors are scheduled to meet the local media on Wednesday at 5 pm for a press conference. This will be held at the CFIC clubhouse located at the 16th floor of the FGU-Ayala Life Building inside the Cebu Business Park.