Previous winners Joseph Tambunting and LJ Go are skipping the final leg of the Phoenix Premium 98 Amateur Open Series today at Beverly Place Golf Club in Mexico, Pampanga, throwing the race for the Open Division title wide open.
Without the champions in the first two legs at Cebu Country Club and Manila Southwood, a new winner would be crowned from among 100 or so players seeing action, said Phoenix Petroleum vice president for external affairs lawyer Raymond Zorilla.
Aside from the Open, the event, sponsored by Magsaysay Transport Logistics Services and Banco de Oro-Unibank, also stakes trophies in Classes A to C and Seniors and offers eight vehicles—four each from Foton and Tata—as prizes for ace makers in all par-3 holes.
The three-leg series was initiated by Phoenix Petroleum to boost local golf. Phoenix will strengthen its commitment by increasing the number of legs to seven next year.
Other tournament backers: Philippine Daily Inquirer, Pioneer Insurance, Ford Pampanga, VMJ Evergreen, Megafiber, X-1R Performance Products, GPS Tracker, 3636, Landbank, Mercedes-Benz, Union Bank, TOIC, Green Future, Cebu Pacific, China Bank, Steel Asia, and Globe are backers.