Eagle, Orchard to host Sta. Lucia Tour

Overpowering in the first two legs, a fired-up Alta Vista of Cebu contingent faces the true test of its class in the final two legs of the Sta. Lucia Golf Tour this week at the Orchard Golf and Country Club and the Eagle Ridge Golf and Country Club both in Cavite.

The Alta Vistans have been firing on all cylinders in the Mindanao and Visayas legs, winning six out of eight possible first place finishes to pull away by a hefty 30 points in the overall standings.

The Cebuanos are actually coming off a clean sweep of the Visayas leg at their home course in a big effort that puts a lot of pressure on rivals Rancho Palos Verdes of Davao and the Eagle Ridge of Cavite in the closing two events.

For Eagle Ridge and Palos Verdes to prevent a walk in the park by Alta Vista, they may have to score a similar sweep of either the Orchard leg on Nov. 7 or the Eagle Ridge stop on Nov. 8.

Alta Vista, Eagle Ridge and Palos Verdes are the only teams so far which have won the overall crown in the last eight years.

Already out of the running in the overall team and individual competitions, the other teams in the series – Orchard, Royale Tagaytay, Lakewood, Summit Point and Caliraya Springs – will just have to contend for the leg titles.

Prizes for the Luzon stage of the inter-island series have been boosted with Toyota Motor Philippines, Inc. putting up a car, Northwest Airlines giving away trips to US destinations and Turf Company staking a Texas Eagle golf cart for hole-in-one feats.

LG Electronics, Northwest Airlines, Sports Network/Taylor Made, Oakley, Immuvit, Inquirer Golf, GG&A Club Shares, Pagcor and Philippine Airlines are sponsors of the Sta. Lucia Tour. Marco Polo and Mandarin Oriental are the official hotels.

More than half a million pesos worth of prizes will be raffled off in the awarding ceremony at Eagle Ridge on Nov 8.

Participants will play the Palmer course at the Orchard with a 6 a.m. shotgun start for Groups 1, 2 and 4 and the seniors and a 12 noon teeoff for the large Group 3. Everybody starts at 9 a.m. at Eagle Ridge with the Faldo course for the competitions in Groups 1, 2 and seniors and Norman for Group 3.