SEAG medalists head Southern Ladies roster

MANILA, Philippines - The SEA Games gold medal winning team of Chihiro Ikeda and Dottie Ardina will lead the chase for top honors in the 47th Southern Ladies golf tournament, which fires off Feb. 4 at the Iloilo Golf and Country Club in Sta. Barbara, Iloilo.

Ikeda and Ardina, along with US-based Mia Piccio bested their regional rivals to capture the team gold in the last SEA Games in Laos with Ikeda completing the romp by winning the individual gold.

Although Ikeda and Ardina were foiled by ICTSI teammate Cyna Rodriguez in the recent Philippine Ladies Amateur Championship, the duo remains the players to beat in the three-day tournament, which will also feature the other top lady golfers from various golf clubs in the country.

Registration ends on Jan. 30 with fee pegged at P2,000, according to the organizing National Golf Association of the Philippines. For details, contact NGAP at (02) 5179778, fax (02) 706-5926, 0917-560-7074 (Susan Facundo) or email at [email protected] or visit www.ngapgolf.com, or at IGCC tel. No. (033) 523-9777 / 523-9779 or fax (033) 523-9778.

Alice Andrada, NGAP treasurer and chairperson of the NGAP Ladies Committee, NGAP directors Frankie Locsin and Pablo Soon, Butch Jamerlan, IGCCI club manager, and Maggie Rivera, president of Iloilo Golf Ladies Chapter, will hit the ceremonial drive to kick off the tournament sponsored by the Philippine Sports Commission, WWWExpress-DHL Worldwide Express, DPC Yellow Pages, Hans Brumann Jeweler, Mizuno and Sarabia Manor Hotel.

Meanwhile, Sarabia Manor Hotel is offering big discounts for participants with the Travellers twin rooms pegged at P1,450, inclusive of breakfast for two. The economy twin room is P1,000 without breakfast while the De Luxe twin room is P2,000 with breakfast and P1,800 without breakfast.

Events on tap are the individual, team competition and seniors division with the LAM-Am and practice round set on Feb. 3. Aside from the centerpiece Championship Flight, other titles to be disputed are Classes A, B, C and D. The seniors division will be for players 55 years old and above.

The individual competition will be a 54-hole tournament under the Molave scoring format while the seniors and team event, a four-to-play, three-to-count format, will be played in the first two days over 36 holes using the Stableford scoring system (net of handicap).