Ask Ernie Els, a two-time US Open Champion and British Open Champion, or Sergio Garcia, who ranks sixth in the official world golf standing. They will tell you that their constitution advocates life, liberty, and the pursuit of golf. Yes, in golf, every good stroke you make, regardless your score, breathes new life into your game.
The passion to deliver the best possible performance runs like adrenalin through the veins of each golf enthusiast who tries to strike a balance between power and control. Of course, a hole in one may be every player’s aspiration but walking down the twisting fairways, being one with the wind and sky is simply golfing nirvana. Such was the spirit at the recently concluded Omega Cup held at the picturesque Rancho Palos Verdes Golf and Country Club in Davao City. What sweeter venue to launch Omega’s newest line, the Constellation Eagle, first presented in style at the 2004 Omega European Masters by Cindy Crawford, Estelle Lefebure, Ernie Els and Sergio Garcia?
After viewing the exquisite collection displayed at the posh lobby of the Marco Polo Hotel, I dare say the Constellation Eagle with Geneva wave décor, rhodium-plated surfaces, elegant gold-plated engravings is not just a watch, but a "fine piece of treasure that tells time." Omega sales and marketing project manager Oliver Hugentobler, who jetted in from Switzerland, enthused: "As a sport of character, prestige and precision – golf is perfect for a watch manufacturer as Omega to be involved in. The prestige Swiss brand is one of the few watchmakers in the world to boast a history and tradition that can compete with that of the noble sport such as golf." Country manager Martin Lacson shared, " In the last few years, Omega has been very supportive of golf, sailing, swimming, and F-1 racing."
Golf was believed to have originated from the medieval Dutch word "colf," meaning "club." In Scotland, some men started hitting small pebbles with sticks into little vermin holes on their walk to town. Over the years, the game spread. Pebbles were replaced by small, dimpled balls, sticks by $500 titanium clubs and vermin holes replaced by million-dollar fairways where this gentleman’s game is played endlessly today.
Davao’s newest attraction is the Rancho Palos Verdes Golf and Country Club with its all-weather, 18-hole championship course designed by Andy Dye. Golfing in this metropolis has never been better. On my flight to the tournament, I was in the company of power couple Ernie and Jeena Lopez and my buddy Butch Bonsol. For two days, we explored 7,039 yards of unique shot-making that only a Dye course demands. The course is set in 70 hectares of elevated, undulating terrain, overlooking the town of Mandug. This course follows an environmentally sensitive golf course design and management, a first in Asia.
The Rancho Palos Verdes Golf and Country Club offers one of the most stunning golf course sites in the world. Landscape scenery, elevation changes, water hazards, pot bunkers, various types of uphill, downhill and sidehill lies on its Bermuda grassed fairways, plus the subtle, imperceptible breaks of its Tifdwarf greens, make Rancho Palos Verdes a truly exceptional golf experience.
I certainly believe that golf is like life. It can be very humbling as even the greatest players may stumble and fall. What’s important is how you play this gentleman’s game and be a good sport. The beauty is that there is always a next shot to look forward to, another chance to redeem yourself and emerge victorious.
I could almost hear my teacher, British PGA golf pro George Walker, as he constantly reminded me that in golfing, one must also relax and have fun bearing in mind one or two swing keys during the round. Before every shot, inhale then exhale to get rid of all the tension before swinging your club back. Always commit yourself to the shot and play one shot at a time. Play in the present. If you make a miss-hit, just move on and focus on the next.
Ernie Els, on the other hand, advises many golf players are world travelers to a degree. His own schedule can get very hectic golfing around the world. He says: "Plane trips are hard on you – and on your game. To recover from cramped conditions and dehydration from a long flight, the first thing to do upon disembarking from a plane is take a walk, go for a swim or get to the gym. Drink a lot of fluids, but beer doesn’t qualify."
The tournament started with a ceremonial tee off by tinseltown’s gorgeous couple Lucy and Richard Gomez. Celebrities literally dove into the hotel pool to win a much coveted Omega watch. The golf skills challenge for the press was won by Dennis Ladaw, while the Double Constellation Eagle watch was unveiled by Beruget, a trained Philippine Eagle. At the awards reception at the Marco Polo hotel ballroom, Hugentobler and Davao Mayor Rodrigo Duterte awarded Bobby Castillo-glass sculptures and Omega watches to the champions of the Omega Cup. Former Senator Tito Sotto received the red jacket as overall grand champion, while Richard Gomez, Tony Reyes, Jake Roxas and Paulina Sotto bagged the plums for class A, B, C and the ladies category, respectively. Martin Nievera, Richard Gomez and John Estrada jammed with the Side A Band as they entertained the guests with their music after the awarding.
I will not forget how the sun was beginning to set as we finished our round of golf on the course’s most difficult hole 9, with its 475-yard par 4-terrain. From our vantage point of over 200 feet of elevation, I looked down at the exhilarating view of the town of Mandug and the vast banana plantation meandering along the banks of the Davao river. After my last putt, being grateful for blessings such as this, I looked behind at the spectacular view and recalled what Logan Smith once said: "There are two things to aim for in life: First is to get what you want and, after that, to enjoy it. Only the wisest of mankind achieves the second."