SEAG bets hone up in Baguio leg

All but two of the 11 members of the national training pool for the Southeast Asian Games this December are due for a big tuneup as they compete in the third eliminations leg of the Samsung Amateur Tour at the Camp John Hay Golf Club starting Tuesday in Baguio.

Multi-titled Juvic Pagunsan and Michael Bibat banner the huge championship division cast of 32 players who will dispute the top plum over 72 holes at the up-and-down layout.

Fresh from international stints, the three will be joined by eight other members of the training team — defending leg winner Jun Bernis, Jay Bayron, Boyet Saragoza, Marvin Dumandan, Louie Dakudao, JR Tanpinco and Gene Bondoc.

Erwin Vinluan decided not to join them since he already had won the second leg of the eliminations played at the Pueblo de Oro course in Cagayan de Oro recently while another pool member, Temyong Murakami, is flying to Japan this week to try to qualify for the Japan Tour.

Saragoza is himself a leg winner (the first leg at Royal Northwoods in Bulacan) but is just joining the event for training.

The winner qualifies for next year’s national grand finals of the Samsung Amateur Tour also sponsored by Tokyo Tokyo, KZG, Microtel, Coppertone Sport, Srixon, Philippine Airlines as the official carrier, Sunbolt, Rudy Project, C-Lium Fiber and Sports Plus. Media partners are Wave 89.1, Jam 88.3, 89.9, 99.5 RT. 103.5 K-Lite and Killer Bee.

Coinciding with the start of the 72-hole championship play is the first 18 holes of the 36-hole battle for all three divisions of the ladies category and the men’s Class C and Class D divisions.

A field of 249 players is entered in the leg with the biggest in the men’s Class B and Class C with 62 and 63 entries vying. There are 33 in Class A and 25 in Class D. There are four in Ladies A, 12 in ladies B and 17 in ladies C.

Boy Blue Ocampo of the organizing Professional Sports Management Group said that there’s so much excitement for the Baguio leg with the quality of the field.

"We’ve never had such a high-caliber cast for a long time and it’s going to be tough winning it," said Ocampo.

Also among the potential challengers are jungolf standout Tonton Asistio, National Caddies Open standouts Mario and Joseph Labajo, local bet Chester Calpotura and several Korean players.

Carmelette Villaroman heads the ladies field.