Canlubang, Luisita relive PAL rivalry

DAVAO, Philippines – Nothing much is expected to change when the 65th Philippine Airlines Interclub golf tournament takes off today with the seniors division in two different venues here.

“It’s going to be fierce and close again,” said Richie Garcia, who along with the unsinkable Iggy Clavecilla form the backbone of the dreaded team from Luisita.

Canlubang, the reigning seniors champion, is around to give Luisita the headache.

“It has been that way through the years. I don’t think this year will be different,” added Garcia, also the chairman of the Philippine Sports Commission.

Luisita and Canlubang are locked in an intense battle for the seniors crown over the last 12 years, with the Sweeties enjoying the upperhand, 7-5.

But the Sugar Barons of Canlubang, skippered by Tony Olives and backstopped by Tommy Manotoc, have won the title five times the last six years.

Canlubang is the hotter team – on paper and on the course. 

Manotoc, a grand slam coach during his PBA days, yesterday said it may all boil down on how Calubang and Luisita, as well as the other competing teams, will fare in the first round. 

“It’s just a matter of who wakes up on the right side of the bed,” said Manotoc, always a force to reckon with in the seniors division and the men’s division if he opts to play.

The men’s division is scheduled Feb. 22-25. Del Monte won the men’s crown at home last year and ended Canlubang’s five-year reign.

Davao has been under inclement weather the past few days and the forecast says nothing much will change over the coming days.

As a result, the Apo Golf is playing longer than it normally is, and organizers have decided to apply the preferred lie rule.

Over at the shorter Rancho Palos Verdes, it’s “hit-it-as-it-is.” 

The tournament is played under the four-to-play-three-to-count format, and each player is only allowed to play in two of the four rounds, in any course of his choice.

“That’s why the fielding of the players is always crucial in this format,” said Luisita team manager Joey Romasanta upon his arrival from Manila yesterday morning.

“To me, it’s always the first round and the third that matters,” he added.

On the eve of tournament, the teams are expected to draw up their battle plans, on which player to field on which course.

Because of its playing conditions due to the weather, it may be quite difficult to post good scores at Davao, and easier to earn points at Palos Verdes if they’re out for a quick start.

“I’m pretty sure both teams will stay up late tonight discussing their strategies,” said Romasanta of the event that rewards a par with three points, birdie with four, eagle with five, hole in one six and double eagle seven.

Boy Blue Ocampo, deputy tournament director, said it’s been done before here before, a double eagle, when Erwin Vinluan needed only two shots at the par-5 18th of Apo, and Abe Rosal on the 12th of Palos Verdes.