Just over three weeks since Typhoon Kristine devastated the country and left several golf courses like the Manila Southwoods reeling from damages, the Carmona, Cavite club will open the full 18 holes of its world-class Masters layout when the Chairman’s Charity Cup tees off starting Thursday.
The severe tropical storm, which left scores dead, rendered practically half of the Jack Nicklaus-created gem unplayable for a few days before members were allowed to play 14 holes as repairs and clean-up were done on a four-hole stretch from No. 4.
The club has since worked practically day and night and will have half of the 500-strong field play the Masters until Saturday as nine of the 15 winners of last year’s edition headed by Jun-Jun Plana will be seeking repeats.
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“Save for No. 6 which will be a par-3, the Masters will be the same challenging layout that it has been,” Southwoods assistant general manager Jerome Delariarte said as his staff braces for the massive turnout for the club’s flagship tournament. “It will be a par-71 for this week, but still very demanding.”
Divisions I and II will be played at the Masters, even as the Legends, another well-manicured gem, will host the other divisions of the 18-hole tournament that will adopt a novel format of two-player teams that will have individual and aggregate scoring.
This is a members’ only tournament and the organizing committee will pair players who register without a partner.
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Marty Ilagan, the Luisita mainstay in the PAL Interclub, is the defending seniors low gross champion, even as Claudine Garcia (Ladies I), Allan Yap (Men’s 2),
Richie Santos (Men’s 3), Gerald Castillo (Men’s 4), Fred dela Cruz (Seniors 1), Oscar Lactao (Seniors 3) and Ayel Reyes (Sponsors/Guests) will also be shooting for back-to-back wins.
The modified stableford system of scoring will be used while cars from Mitsubishi Motors and Toyota Silang and a seven-night Mexican Riviera cruise for two with round-trip airfare between Manila and Los Angeles will be dangled for holes-in one.
If no aces are scored, all those prizes will be raffled off during the awarding ceremonies on Saturday.