Tight race looms in Southern Ladies Open

Keen competition is seen among the country’s top and upcoming lady golfers when the 41st Southern Ladies Open Golf Championships get underway today at the Bacolod Golf and Country Club at Hacienda Binitin in Murcia, Bacolod City.

Although Lora Roberto and Carmelette Villaroman are fancied to slug it out for top honors in the championship division owing to their fine form and experience, the likes of Lucy Landicho and Lina de Guzman of Cangolf, Aileen Rose Yao and Karen Buenaventura of Manila Golf Club are given equal chances to pull off a surprise or two in the three-day event organized and conducted by the National Golf Association of the Philippines.

A similar tight battle is also expected in the other divisions, namely classes A, B, C and D and in the senior category, which features players aged 60-years-old and above.

Negros Occidental Gov. Joseph Marañon, Bacolod City Mayor Joy Valdez, Alice Ll. Andrada, chair of the ladies committee and NGAP treasurer, and host club president Alfredo Montelibano will hit the ceremonial balls at 9 a.m.

Opening cocktails will be held at 6 p.m. at the Casino Filipino Hotel.

Meanwhile, Wack Wack’s Leana Farrales scored a hole-in-one on Bacolod Golf and Country Club’s No. 18 yesterday. The 34-year-old daughter of Wack Wack mainstay Vicky used a Mizuno 7-wood and Wilson Staff ball in making her second ace.

The annual event is staged in cooperation with the host club and sponsored by DHL Worldwide Express, WWW Express, Petron Corp. Philippine Sports Commission, Gopez Corp., Sugarland Hotel, Directories Philippines Corp., Hans Brumann Jeweller, Casino Filipino Hotel, Mitsubishi Motors, Vice Admiral Luisito Fernandez, BREDCO, and Nestle Waters Phils. Inc.

Mizuno is staking a brand-new golf set for a hole-in-one feat while other backers are the Office of the Governor of Negros Occidental, Bacolod City Mayor’s Office and Council and Pag-ugyon Negros Foundation.

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.