PAL Interclub: Men's regular event tees off

CEBU, Philippines - The Philippine Airlines (PAL) Interclub men’s division action officially starts today at the Apo Golf Club and Rancho Palos Verdes Golf and Country Club here.

Four Cebu teams are taking part in the four-day event using the Stableford Scoring System. The format awards six points for a double eagle, five for hole-in-one, four for eagle, three for birdie, two for par and one for bogey.

Cebu Country Club, which a lorded it over in the Founders Division the past several years, will try to bounce back from a disappointing third place finish last year.

Another team from Cebu has also been bracketed in the second-ranked category as Alta Vista Golf and Country Club, first runner-up in the Sportswriters Division last year, has been promoted.

Mactan Island Golf Club, which tried to bring back the tournament to Cebu by bidding to host next year’s event, remains in the third-ranked Sportswriters Division.

Club Filipino Incorporada de Cebu will compete in the fourth-ranked Friendship Division.

As of presstime, Cebu Country Club was yet to announce its first five players, who will see action today at Apo.

Alta Vista will have Gabriel Yap, Jr., Wendell Yap, Enrico Solon, junior golf standout Gio Gandiongco and skipper Victor Gocela seeing action today.

Gocela told The Freeman that even if his team has been elevated to the Founder category, he is hopeful of a decent finish.

“We don’t expect to be up there, but we will do our best.”

Mactan will be fielding Chandran Rama, Hubert Calan, Jonathan Dionson, Roy Dadula and either Andrew Cañete or Andoy Mondares at Palos Verdes today.

Club Filipino’s line up for the opening round at Apo will be Edwardson Chiu, Raymond Garcia, Razy Razon, Ed Franco and Jae Eun Kim.

In the premiere Championship Division, the entry of the members of the national pool under the banner of The Country Club has made it interesting up there.

Canlubang remains a formidable contender along with Manila Southwoods, Luisita, and Del Monte.

Each day, a team can field five players, but only the four best scores would count for the team total.

MACTAN’S BID

Ret. Gen. Rodante Joya, skipper of Mactan, bid to host next year’s tournament during the captain’s meeting at Apo Golf.

Unfortunately his effort to bring the tournament back to Cebu did not materialize as two clubs are needed to accommodate all the entries.

The tournament will instead head back to Pueblo de Oro Golf and Country Club in Cagayan de Oro City and Del Monte Golf Club in Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon next year.

Joya offered Mactan as single host, but requested that the event be extended to allow them to accommodate all participants.   (BANAT NEWS)