Cangolf, Luisita open PAL Interclub srs bid

CEBU CITY, Philippines – Canlubang, the most dominant team the last seven years, and Luisita, the winningest squad of all time, launch their bids for the Philippine Airlines Interclub Seniors golf tournament without their ace gunners beginning today at Alta Vista Golf & Country Club.

The Sugar Barons, rulers of six of the last seven stagings of the annual event, go for a three-peat without Tommy Manotoc, hero of their come-from-behind victory last year in Davao who begged off due to health reasons.

Fourteen-time champion Luisita is not spared from manpower problems as Iggy Clavecilla will also skip the tourney as he has yet to fully recover from a freak accident he suffered in a competition in Korea last year.

Philip Brodett has been tapped in place of Manotoc, a five-time individual winner.

Brodett is coming off a victory at the Manila Southwoods Seniors Invitational, where he and brother Butch reigned in the two-man team aggregate event.

Back to carry the fight for the Sugar Barons are Jose Mari Echanova, Rolly Viray, Tony Olives, Dave Hernandez, Luigi Yulo and Bong Bunye.

Clavecilla, a former individual winner and many-time national seniors champion, will serve as Luisita’s non-playing captain. Bong Sison will take his place, joining Francis Gaston, Richie Garcia, Pepot Inigo, Mining Maravilla, Lino Magpantay, Rudy Amata, and Seve Roxas Chua.

“Iggy Clavecilla is a marquee player for us but then again, things kind of evened out because Tommy is likewise not playing. That makes it interesting,” said Luisita team manager Joey Romasanta.

Cebu Country Club, which placed third in Davao last year, is expected to figure in the race. CCC has been relegated to the Founders Classification this year with the entry of three new players but it could contend for the Championship if it outscores the competitors in the Championship Division, according to the organizers.

“Cebu Country Club is also strong, gauging from last year’s competition,” said Romasanta of the team bannered by Ramontito Garcia, Edito Tirol, Masatsugu Ochiai and Lor Alaan with new recruits George Hong, Ray Gibbs and Kim Kwang Seok.

The first round will be played at Alta Vista in Pardo Hills here, the par-72 up-and-down mountain course which only opened for practice rounds yesterday afternoon as heavy rains finally stopped after two days.

The tourney swings to the Club Filipino de Cebu for rounds 2 and 3 before going back to Alta Vista for the final round.

The event had its ceremonial tee-off yesterday at Alta Vista with Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama; Peter Aznar, VP-Alta Vista; Evans Tumaliwan, VP-Club Filipino de Cebu; Atty. Domingo Duerme, PAL Senior Asst. VP-Mindanao & Interclub Chairman; and Felix J. Cruz, Jr., PAL VP-Marketing Support & Interclub co-chair present.