Minda regional under way at Apo course

MANILA, Philippines - Action in the NGAP-Globe Amateur Circuit resumes today with the staging of the Mindanao Regional Championships with Rupert Zaragosa, LJ Go and members of the Frankie Miñoza Golf Foundation heading the field at the Apo Golf and Country Club in Davao.

Zaragosa, who won both the boys’ and men’s national titles last year, will be playing in his fourth tournament after a long layoff from a freak accident that kept him out of the game for the first four months of the season.

The event also serves as Zaragosa’s tuneup for his defense of the Philippine Am (Closed) Championship crown slated next week at Alabang Country Club.

Play for the first two days will be stroke to determine qualifiers before the format changes to match for the last three days.

Also in the fold are 12 standouts from the Frankie Miñoza Golf Foundation in Bukidnon led by Reymon Jaraulla even as Joey Huerva, the Bacolod-based La Salle student, also listed up in search of his first big tournament win after bagging the low amateur crown in last week’s ICTSI Eagle Ridge Invitational of the Philippine Golf Tour.

Meanwhile, more than 40 entries will be seeing action in the Mid-Am side of the event, a very encouraging sign, according to NGAP president Tommy Manotoc, whose administration’s thrust is to include the ordinary golfer more in big tournaments.

The event is part of the Globe-NGAP Amateur circuit and is backed by Pancake House, Titleist and Golf Depot.

Go, one of the heroes for Cebu Country Club in the PAL Interclub, returns to the site of his club’s victory and is listed as one of the men to beat.