Cebu CC gears up for defense of ‘surprise’ crown

Team Canlubang celebrates ruling the seniors division.

BACOLOD—Defending champion Cebu Country Club (CC) arrived here on Sunday, and, unlike last season when it came from the lower division to rule the centerpiece Championship class of the Philippine Airlines Interclub on home soil, this squad feels that it would be a wide-open race starting on Wednesday.

“We have things going for us and things that are against us,” playing captain Bayani Garcia told the Inquirer, minutes before their official practice round at tree-lined Marapara. “We’re used to playing courses with this kind of [traditional] grass, but it’s the wind that we don’t have back home.”

Garcia conceded that teams coming from Manila, like title-favorite Southwoods, are used to playing in adverse wind conditions. “But it’s the type of grass here that they have to deal with.”

Cebu CC denied Southwoods a fifth straight title last year, making its move at Mactan, a military-controlled course.

“For sure, all the teams that are here have come very well-prepared,” Garcia said. “In that respect, I think there are no favorites here.”

Not quite. Despite Cebu’s surprise last year, Southwoods is again installed as the heavy favorite here, with Yuto Katsuragawa seeing action anew and the team reactivating Vince Lauron to join Jun Jun Plana.