RP Am stakes slots in Nomura, Putra Cup

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Amateur Golf Championships presented by Samsung will not just be a battle for the country’s premier crown when it is staged June 3-7 but will also be a fight for potential spots in the national team competing in this year’s Nomura and Putra Cups.

The organizing NGAP (National Golf Association of the Phils.) said the stroke play event in the first two days of the weeklong tournament will serve as part of the qualifier for spots in the RP pool from where members of the national team vying in the two prestigious international events will be selected.

“This makes the stroke play phase a real battle not just for spots in the match play stage but also for possible berths in the national team,” said NGAP president and DOTC Secretary Leandro Mendoza.

He added the Filipino players in the top 16 after the stroke play will be eligible to join the first of two sets of qualifiers to select the members of the RP squad – a 144-hole tournament where the top six will slug it out for the four RP team berths in another 144-hole event.

The top finishers will represent the Philippines in the Nomura Cup on Sept. 15-18 in South Korea and possibly in the Putra Cup on Nov. 17-20 in Thailand.

With probable seats in the RP team at stake, this year’s event promises to be a shootout among the country’s top and promising players.

Sponsored by Samsung, the world’s number one LCD maker and electronics company, the RP amateurs will be held at the Eastridge Golf Club in Binangonan, Rizal with Tonton Asistio, Rufino Bayron, Jhonnel Ababa, Mark Fernando and Jessie Balasabas expected to lead the chase for top honors.

Other backers of the event are Mizuno, A Round of Golf, the Philippine Sports Commision, Inquirer Golf Monthly and hole-in-one sponsors Club Car, International Armoring Inc.., Custom Clubmaker, Crestlink, ABW, Gargol and CranUTI.

Meanwhile, registration is now ongoing with the field open to the first 75 players (men) with handicap index of 7.3 and below, 25 lady players with index of 9.8 and below and seniors aged 55 years old and above with handicap index of 9.6 and below.

Entry fee is pegged at P2,500. For details, contact NGAP at (632-5179778/5577849) or fax (632-7065926) or Eastridge Golf Club at (632-6512240/6512275 or fax (632-6512270). Deadline for listup is on May 25 for foreign players and May 26 for local bets.

The top 32 players from the men’s group, the top 16 from the ladies category and eight from the seniors side after the 36-hole stroke play qualifying on June 3-4 will advance to the match play phase of the event.

Two rounds in the men’s event will be played in the first day of match play on June 5 with the winners advancing to the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds on June 6.

Winners will slug it out for the championship, another 36-hole duel, on June 7.