Samsung backs RP amateur golf tourney

MANILA, Philippines – Samsung, the world’s number one LCD maker and electronics company, will be the title sponsor of the 2009 Philippine Amateur Golf Championships when it is held June 1-7 at the Eastridge Golf Club in Binangonan, Rizal.

Samsung’s sponsorship of the country’s premier amateur golf event underscores the firm’s commitment to help develop amateur golf as it also stages the Samsung Amateur Golf Tour and the Samsung Interscholastic Golf Championships.

The Samsung Amateur Golf Tour will still have two legs at The Orchard on July 28-29 and at Camp John Hay on Aug. 26-27 while Samsung Interscholastic Golf Championships will be held Sept. 8-10 at the Canlubang Golf and Country Club.

The battle for this year’s national crown is expected to be fierce among the country’s top and upcoming players, led by Tonton Asistio and Rufino Bayron from the ICTSI golf stable and Jhonnel Ababa, Mark Fernando and Jessie Balasabas from Calatagan.

Anya Tanpinco, meanwhile, goes for a three-peat in the ladies side of the event organized by the National Golf Association of the Phils. and backed by Mizuno, A Round of Golf, the Philippine Sports Commision, Inquirer Golf Monthly and hole-in-one sponsors Club Car, International Armoring Inc., Custom Clubmaker, Crestlink, ABW, Gargol and CranUTI.

Registration is ongoing. The field is open to the first 75 players (men) with handicap index of 7.3 and below, 25 lady players with index of 9.8 and below and seniors aged 55 years old and above with handicap index of 9.6 and below.

Entry fee is pegged at P2,500. For details, contact NGAP at (632-5179778/5577849) or fax (632-7065926) or Eastridge Golf Club at (632-6512240/6512275 or fax (632-6512270). Deadline for listup is on May 25 for foreign players and May 26 for local bets. For the Samsung Amateur Golf Tour and Samsung Interscholastic, calll up PSMG at 710-7199 or 212-5499.