Samsung tour gets nationwide in ’03

Only two legs after its launching, the green light has been given for the Samsung Amateur Tour to go truly nationwide next year with at least three more additional legs in the Visayas and Mindanao.

Pleased with the way the Cebu leg of the Tour turned out where Eric Deen and Lucy Landicho led the roster of winners, Samsung Electronics Philippines chief Sang Youl Eom had asked the Professional Sports Management Group to get ready for a bigger one next year.

Deen, a 38-year-old businessman, topped the championship division while Landicho won the ladies Class A of the 36-hole tourney that attracted a hundred of the best amateurs in the Visayas.

The Amateur Tour is part of the Samsung Digitall Challenge. Co-sponsors of the tourney are TaylorMade adidas, Gatorade, Maxfli, Fila, Custom Clubmakers and Hotshots Flame-Grilled Burgers. Wave 89.1, City Lite 88.3, 103.5 K-Lite, Magic 89.9, KillerBee and 99.5 RT are radio partners.

Together with Class A winner George Hong, Class B titlist Boy Alegre and ladies Class B champ Mercy Bejar, Deen and Landicho will join the other qualifiers in three other legs in the national finals at Tagaytay Midlands next year.

Tagaytay Midlands will host the third leg on Jan. 9-10 while Mt. Malarayat (Feb. 6-7) will be the venue for the fourth leg.

Deen scored 74-75-149 to beat reigning club champion Jovi Neri by five strokes, Hong’s 164 gave him a one-stroke win over Anton Florendo and Alegre was a four-stroke winner over Joselito Gullas and Axel Alazas with his 165.

Landicho was just too classy for the field with her rounds of 88-79-167 and it was Bejar who needed to work harder. With a 180 aggregate, she won by five over Cynthia Allanigue.

Boy Blue Ocampo of the PSMG said that they were surprised with the order of Eom, here to meet the regional dealers of the company, to make the Tour bigger in 2003.

"We will definitely start planning ahead and knowing the lack of major events in the south, it will surely cater to the growing number of good players in areas like Bacolod and Davao," he said.

The third part of the three-in-one event is the Samsung Interscholastic, the junior championships which will feature prominent colleges and universities battling it out for school pride.