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Bacolod City: The Canlubang Golf and Country Club
starts its bid as the 61st Philippine Airlines Interclub men’s
regular tournament opens tomorrow at the Negros Occidental
Golf and Country Club here.
The CGCC of Luigi Yulo is seeking
to annex the men’s regular championship of the long-running
golfing event launched by the country’s airline in 1948.
Records showed only Hacienda
Luisita team so far completed a major sweeps for three straight
years in 1991. Can the Sugar Barons duplicate it?
To make it, they have to flash
more consistency in a field where parbusters from Manila Southwoods
are fancied to make a run of their money.
Canlubang will be composed by
Jonel Ababa, Rufino Bayron, Mark Fernando, Jess Balaban, Mario
Labajo, Joseph Labajo, Paul Echavez, Sonny Boy Bialan, Peter Villahe
and Joey Huerva.
The Sugar Barons leaned on Tommy
Manotoc’s solid game to dominate the seniors tourney that included
main rival Luisita Golf and Country Club in a four-day show of sheer
talents at the Negros Occidental Golf and Country Club in Bacolod
and at the Bacolod Golf and Country Club in Binitin, Murcia.
Besides the three-peat bid, the
Sugar Barons are also seeking for a record 15th men’s crown in the
tournament.
The Manila Southwoods will rely
on Gene Bondoc, Tonton Asistio, Jun Jun Plana, Anthony Fernando,
Mikko Yee, Miggy Yee, Justin Limjap, Chuchie Hung, Benjie Sarmiento
and Il Jun Chun.
A total of 77 teams from the
Philippines, the United States, Canada, Australia and Saudi Arabia
are taking part in the event also sponsored by Airbus, Boeing,
Bombardier, GE Aviation, MTV Philippines and Solar Sports, with
Action Asia, Business Mirror, Crossover, PACSPORTS and Royal
Caribbean as major backers.
Also at stake in the annual event
are titles in the Founders, Sportswriters and Friendship divisions.
California has squads from San Francisco, Daly City, San
Diego, Crystal Spring, Team LA.
Other states participating are
Hawaii, New Jersey, Las Vegas,
Florida, Guam and Texas. Fortune Tobacco, GECAS, MasterCard,
People Asia and RMN are the corporate sponsors with Bombo Radyo, Callaway
Golf, Century Park Hotel, Lufthansa Technik and Patio Pacific
Boracay as other backers.
Teams are from Shanghai, China,
Taipei, Taiwan, Vancouver and British Columbia in Canada and Sydney,
Australia are likewise seeing action.
--Frank Calapre
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