DAVAO—A toss-up.
That’s how both Canlubang and Luisita see their latest Senior showdown as the Philippine Airlines Interclub, the unofficial team golf championship in the land, gets going today at the Rancho Palos Verdes and Apo golf courses here.
“I think that it would be a matter of who wakes up on the right side of the bed,” Canlubang stalwart Tommy Manotoc said. “It’s that close. It’s that balanced (our lineups).”
Action starts for the championship division today at Apo golf where scoring is expected to be high. Tomorrow, the premier division will play at Rancho Palos Verdes , an all-weather, up-and-down championship course .
Torrential rains have battered Mindanao and the Visayas the past two weeks, making both courses play longer, especially Apo golf, a traditional course that has been made soggy.
Play at Rancho Palos Verdes, where the lower divisions will be playing today, will be ‘as-is-where-is,’ while that in Apo will use winter rules.
Richie Garcia, the Philippine Sports Commission chair who has been a regular top gun of Luisita, also believes that nothing has changed in their match-up with the Barons.
“It’s going to be fierce and close again,” Garcia said before boarding a flight en route here yesterday. “It has been that way through the years and I don’t think this year will be any different.”
Seve Roxas-Chua, the former Alabang mainstay, will see action for the Luisitans this year in place of Carlo Gamban, while Rene Unson takes the place of Philip Brodett in the Canlubang fold.
Tony Olives, the surprise package for the Barons last year, will be a major force for Canlubang along with old hands Rolly Viray, Dave Hernandez and playing skipper Luigi Yulo.
Each team is allowed up to eight players who will see action only for 36 holes. Four players are fielded daily with the top three scores counting.
The 65th edition is sponsored by Mareco Broadcasting Network, Radio High, Stargate Media and Media Five while the major backers are Asia Brewery, Business Mirror and Airbus.