CAP-S’woods opens Fil-Am 3-peat bid

BAGUIO City — CAP-Manila Southwoods launches its bid for a grand slam when the Fil-Am golf team championship, one of the nation’s oldest and one of the world’s biggest in terms of participation, fires off today at the Baguio Country Club and John Hay Golf Club courses.

An international field of 690 players from 69 teams is seeing action in the six-day event starting at 6 a.m. at the first and 10th tees of both clubs.

Of the 69 competing clubs, 21 of them came from different parts of the world, including Australia, South Korea, Okinawa, Japan and California, Hawaii and Guam.

Benguet Gov. Raul Molintas, Rep. Mauricio Domogan, Baguio Mayor Bernardo Vergara, lawyer Damaso Bangaoet, BCDA chairman Babes Singson, Bjorn Anderson, John Hay chairman Robert John Sobrepena, Country Club chairman Federico Agcaoili, Miguel Rodrigo of Sony-Ericsson and Smart’s Greg Atienza hit the ceremonial balls yesterday.

Up for grabs in the event sponsored by Sony-Ericsson, Smart, College Assurance Plan and John Hay Poro Point Development Corp. are team and individual trophies in the Championship Flight and Flights A, B, C, D, E and F in the Fil and Am divisions.

Expected to provide the challenge to CAP-Manila Southwoods’ bid for a third straight Championship Flight crown are Mizuno DHL, Forest Hills, and Fairways and Blue Water. " Southwoods is really the team to beat but one thing is sure, my charges will give it a good fight, ‘’ said Mizuno DHL team manager Lovell Gopez. — Artemio Dumlao