Arroyo, Abalos host golf tiff

First Gentleman Mike Arroyo and Comelec chair Ben Abalos will host an 18-hole fun tournament launching the revival of the Philippine professional golf circuit tomorrow at the west course of the Wack Wack Golf and Country Club.

Arroyo and Abalos will be among 40 amateurs coming from the organizing Federation of Golf Clubs Philippines, Inc. and the sportswriting community who will be teaming up with invited members of the Professional Golfers Association of the Philippines.

Tee-off starts at 7:30 a.m.

To be announced during a press conference immediately after the morning game are the full details of a simple nationwide circuit that will send the local pros, who have long been idled due to the dearth of sponsorships, back into the competitive fold.

Exclusive clubs making up the FGCPI will host most of the events although public facilities in the south are also being tapped to be included in the new Tour.

The top two teams made up of a pro, a sportswriter and organizing committee member/invited guest will win cash and merchandise prizes. The media will also play in their own division.

"This tournament is really intended to bring together people whose roles are deemed very crucial in making this project a success. As tee-shots are very important in golf, we certainly would like to get off to a right start," said Abalos, who is also president of the host club Wack Wack as well as the commissioner of the PGAP.

The PGAP officialdom is headed by Jun Bustamante who has already invited top pros like Cassius Casas, Danny Zarate, Gerald Rosales, Robert Pactolerin and Antonio Lascuña to grace the affair.

The last 72-hole event where local pros were able to play in was the Philippine Open which was won by Rick Gibson. The PGAP had actually staged an 18-hole Celebrity Open and last week’s 36-hole Mizuno two-man team.