Out-of-towners brace for win as Sta. Lucia Tour resumes

Humbled the first time around, provincial teams will try to get back into the overall hunt when the second leg of the 2000 Sta. Lucia Golf Tour resumes early next month in Cebu City.

Special focus will be on the teams from the up-and-down Alta Vista Golf and Country Club which will take their turn to host the course-hopping series organized by Sta. Lucia Realty on Nov. 3-4.

Teams from Orchard and Eagle Ridge dominated action in the highly-successful kickoff leg of the Tour last Oct. 6-7 at the Palmer and Player courses of Orchard in Dasmariñas, Cavite.

Orchard topped Group I while Eagle Ridge teams ruled Groups II and III, shutting out their rivals from Alta Vista, Rancho Palos Verdes and Royale Tagaytay.

"We have to remember that this is a three-leg series, so the Cebu leg is still very crucial in the battle for the Sta. Lucia Cup," said Vicente Santos, chair of the executive committee.

The Sta. Lucia Cup will go to the team that amasses the most points from the Cebu leg and the final stop on Dec. 1-2 at the Faldo and Aoki courses of Eagle Ridge which will be highlighted by Nick Faldo’s special visit.

Winnie Gob, executive committee vice chair, said that the Cebu stop of the Tour promises to be as exciting as the first leg.

"The provincial squads will be out for revenge and the frontrunners better watch ou," said Gob.

The Sta. Lucia Cup is also sponsored by Philippine Airlines as the official carrier, Hyatt and Cebu Plaza as official hotels, Club Car, Kart Plaza and Golf Plus as hole-in-one donors. The other sponsors are Outback Steakhouse, Pioneer Audio-Video and Pisanti.

Trophies and mechandise prizes are again up for grabs in the Alta Vista leg. The conclusion of the series this December will be highlighted by a grand raffle that will include a residential property in Tagaytay as the main prize.