S'woods, WW face tough task in PAL interclub

First-time champions Manila Southwoods and Wack Wack will have a tough fight in their hands when they try to defend their titles in the 53rd Philippine Airlines Interclub golf championships which begin with the Seniors event tomorrow in Northern Mindanao.

Wack Wack, which won the inaugural PAL trophy 53 years ago, will be defending the title in the Seniors Interclub, which kicks off the annual week-long golfing fiesta.

The Mandaluyong golfers will be facing the tough challenge of perennial champions Villamor and Luisita. The latter did not field a team last year.

Southwoods will be fielding virtually the same talent-rich and youthful lineup which ran away with the championship last year, when the two most successful clubs in the history of the event - arch-rivals Canlubang and Luisita - did not participate due to scheduling problems.

In what team captain Herminio Maravilla described as a "coming-out party," Southwoods routed the opposition last year by a whopping 29 points - one of the biggest winning margins in the history of the Interclub.

Maravilla said he expected Luisita and Canlubang to come up with a strong bid this year in what promises to be a three-way title fight over four days.

An unknown factor is co-host Del Monte, home course of the talented Miñoza brothers, whose lineup still has to be submitted to organizers. Wack Wack will also be fielding a strong team spearheaded by comebacking Gerard Cantada and Marlon Dizon.

The expected triangular title battle starts on Tuesday (Feb. 15) on the two best golf courses in Mindanao -- the Robert Trent Jones, Jr-designed Pueblo de Oro Golf and Country Club in Cagayan de Oro City and the 72-year-old Del Monte Golf and Country Club in nearby Manolo Fortich town in Bukidnon.

Maravilla, the grand old man in Southwoods' team of youngsters, will be backed up by national amateur champion Artemio Murakami, Cookie La'O, Chucho Martinez, Jerome Delariarte, Hanson So, Jr. Juami Rocha and "veterans" Junjun Plana, Ramontito Garcia and Thirdy Escano. Southwoods golf director Jeric Hechanova is the 11th man in the lineup submitted to PAL.

Luisita, which abandoned its title defense last year when the event was moved from late February to late June because of uncertainties in the financially strapped airline, will be back with the nucleus of its tested championship lineup.

It includes Iggy Clavecilla, Francis Gaston, former professional Tom Concon, Ray Sangil, Luis Dacudao, Vicente Tuason, JR Tanpinco, Angelo Que, Michael Que and Francisco Guingona. Richie Garcia is the team captain.

Canlubang will be mounting an equally serious challenge spearheaded by the evergreen Tommy Manotoc. The lineup also includes Abe Rosal, Jun Cedo, Solomon Gines, Juvic Pagunsan, Jose Ma. Hechanova, Like Preysler and team captain Luigi Yulo.