Sta. Elena golf gets boost with Globe on the line

With Globe Telecoms coming in as a major sponsor, the 220 participating teams in the eighth Sta. Elena Cup, the member-guest invitational tournament of the multi-awarded Sta. Elena Golf Club, are in for an exciting and fun-filled week of competitions.

Globe’s entry boosts the very exclusive sponsorship roster of the event slated for March 25-28 that counts just six companies. These are Royal Caribbean International, Northwest International Airlines, Toyota Motors Philippines and Mizuno/Master Sports.

Heading the entries for the 36-hole tourney spread out in four days is the team of Tommy Manotoc and Bones Floro. Manotoc is seeking another major amateur plum after a series of superb performances that had seen him clinch the PAL Interclub seniors crown and barely lost the men’s title.

Last month, Manotoc made history with OV Espiritu in the Mango Tee of Alabang when they won both the low gross and low net plums.

The Sta. Elena Cup officially kicks off with the pre-tournament cocktails tomorrow, Tuesday coinciding with the last day of the practice rounds. One of the watches donated by Omega will be raffled off.

More Omega watches will be given away during the tournament’s awarding rites on Sunday, March 28. The others main items to be raffled off are are a Carribean Cruise inclusive of airline tickets, golf equipment and major appliances.

A Toyota Camry will serve as a hole-in-one prize on a designated hole.

Sta. Elena general manager Junie Ledesma said that a big portion of the Sta. Elena Cup proceeds goes to the employees tipping fund yearly. The club is one of only few in the country that prohibits its service workforce from receiving tips.

Among the notables in the registry are reigning club champion Jingy Tuason, Jojo Guingona, Iggy Clavecilla, Richie Garcia and defending low gross champion Manoling Chan.

The ladies challenge will be spearheaded by Therese Dabao, who partnered with Stephanie Yu in becoming the third all-female tandem to win the Cup last year. The team of Rio Co and multi-titled jungolfer Jayvie Agojo are one of the teams to watch.

Prizes to be disputed are the overall low net, overall net runner-up and overall low gross trophies, the winners in Class A, Class B and Class C will also receive prizes.

Sta. Elena boasts of a well-maintained course that was recently adjuged as the best course in the Philippines and the second best in the region by the prestigious Asia Golf Magazine.