PAL Interclub set to return to Cebu

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – The question when the annual Philippine Airlines Interclub will be coming back to Cebu is about to have an official answer and it would be 2013.

This as four Cebu golf clubs have decided to officially bid to host the event next year in what would be another historic milestone. This will be the first time that four golf clubs would be hosting what is regarded as the country’s club championships.

Alta Vista Golf and Country Club and Club Filipino Incorporada de Cebu, which both have rolling terrains, would be hosting the seniors’ tournament.

The men’s regular event will be hosted by Cebu Country Club and Mactan Island Golf Club.

The logic behind the choices of hosts for the two tournaments that are held one after the other is that Alta Vista and Club Filipino would require players to use golf carts while both CCC and MIGC are courses where players can easily walk due to their flat terrain.

Sources told The Freeman that initially only three clubs were committed to bid for hosting, but later the fourth club also joined in for a united Cebu.

The last time Cebu hosted the PAL Interclub was in 2001 at CCC and CFIC.

The official venue for the next edition of the tournament is decided during the team captains’ meeting for the men’s regular event, which is set today at the Apo Golf and Country Club.

For the past several years, participants in the tournament have been asking when Cebu would be hosting the event next.

Even before the hosting could be formalized, several participants of the just-concluded seniors’ tournament expressed their elation that “at last” the tournament will head back to Cebu.

The men’s regular event will officially open on Wednesday with the four Cebu clubs also set to join.

Meanwhile, during the awards ceremony of the seniors’ tournament Sunday night, Ramontito Garcia, president of Cebu Country Club, won the first runner-up honors for Flight A of the individual category.

Garcia fired rounds of 53 and 52 in the Molave Points System to finish a very close second to champion Tommy Manotoc, who had identical rounds of 53 on both courses.

To qualify for individual honors, a player must have played on the two courses that would be used.

Cebu Country Club was also the lone Cebu team to come home with a trophy after finishing third in the premiere Championship Division behind come-from-behind champion Canlubang and three-day leader Luisita. (FREEMAN)