Nat’l pool bets lead Southern Ladies cast

Close to 80 players from 17 teams vie for top honors in various divisions in the 41st Southern Ladies Open Golf Championships which unfolds tomorrow at the Bacolod Golf and Country Club at Hacienda Binitin in Murcia.

National training pool members Lora Roberto and Carmelette Villaroman head the cast in the championship division of the three-day event that also lured the likes of Lucy Landicho and Lina de Guzman of Cangolf, Aileen Rose Yao and Karen Buenaventura of Manila Golf Club.

The event will be launched with the traditional Lam-am tournament today. It features a female player and a male amateur partner with the event serving as the final practice round for the competing field.

Wack Wack is fielding in the biggest contingent with 25, led by Liza Lopez, Stephanie Yu, Leana Farrales and Elvira Liboro, while Beth Menchavez and Hilda Badong spearhead Riviera’s bid in the event organized and conducted by the National Golf Association of the Philippines.

Other events on tap in the annual event, held in cooperation with the host club and sponsored by DHL Worldwide Express, WWW Express, Gopez Corp., Sugarland Hotel, Directories Philippines Corp., Hans Bruhmann Jeweller, Casino Filipino Hotel, Mitsubishi Motors, Vice Admiral Luisito Fernandez, Nestle Waters Phils. Inc., are Classes A, B, C and D while the senior division features players aged 60-years old and above.

Mizuno is staking a brand new golf set for a hole-in-one feat.

Other teams seeing action are Alabang, The Orchard, Philippine Navy, Pueblo de Oro, Victorias Golf Club, Iloilo, Binitin and Marapara, which is fielding in three teams.

For details, call up NGAP office at (02) 525-6987/524-5160 or fax (02) 521-1587 (Susan Facundo) and at the Bacolod Golf and Country Club (034) 446-1635 or fax (034) 446-1794.