THE heavily-wooded Negros Occidental Golf and Country Club, otherwise known as Marapara, will again be the venue of the final round of the 67th PAL Interclub Men’s championship on Saturday.
Precision off the tees and well-placed approach shots are what will be demanded from the field as Cebu Country Club goes for a third straight title.
Two rounds will be played at the Marapara and another two at the Bacolod Golf and Country Club – also known as Binitin – in Murcia town.
Cebu CC will miss the services of aces Mark Dy and Lloyd Jefferson Go and will pin its hopes on old hands Ramontito Garcia, Carl Almario and many-time club champion Eric Deen.
Dy turned pro just weeks after the Cebuanos nipped Alabang last year, while Go, who won the national amateur championship in devastating fashion at Wack Wack East last month, is in the United States on a golfing scholarship.
Alabang again takes a stab at a first championship division crown with a team built around Andres Saldana and a host of teenage members.
Saldana, who is coming off a close second place finish to Rupert Zaragosa in the 19th WExpress-DHL tournament at Canlubang North last week, banners a young Alabang squad that also has Justin Quiban, Basti Lorenzo and Gabriel Manotoc.
Perennial title contender Southwoods will be spearheaded by former pro Antonio Asistio and the veteran Jun Jun Plana.
Orchard also looks good on paper with veteran internationalist John Kier Abdon and the seasoned King Stehmeier spearheading the squad.
Del Monte, with the products of its grassroots program getting better by the year, is also a solid title threat in the tournament co-sponsored by CrossOver with Boeing, Philippines Graphic, Stargate Media (People Asia) and Rogue as corporate backers, and supported by Airbus, Business Mirror, One Mega Group (Travel Now), Philippine Broadcasting Corporation, Manila Broadcasting Corporation, Petron and Manila Bulletin.
The Bukidnon-based squad also sent its mainstays to Canlubang last week with Magno Arancon impressing the most. Arancon finished third by nine shots but showed a great all-around game.
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