Manila Southwoods-Masters out to extend six-year reign

PAL Ladies Interclub

Cebu City — Facing an old enemy in its home turf, and a third force that will come into the PAL Ladies Interclub armed to the teeth, Manila Southwoods-Masters still feels confident of its chances in extending its historic reign starting today.

“It’s still pretty strong,” SW-Masters skipper Claire Ong told the Inquirer while preparing for their official practice round Monday afternoon at tree-lined Cebu Country Club (CCC), where the host squad will try to exploit its familiarity with the course to the hilt and break the Carmona-based squad’s six-year stranglehold.

“Although it will be tight because Pradera is also there,” Ong added, referring to newcomer Pradera Verde, which will be backstopped by one of the best age-groupers in the land in Yuka Saso and up-and-coming Annika Pineda-Cayabyab.

“They’re definitely contenders, and we have our hands full,” said Lora Roberto, one of the veterans of the SW-Masters squad that lost Pauline del Rosario to the pros earlier this year and ace Abegail Arevalo, who is in the United States.

CCC, a traditional layout situated in the heart of this bustling city’s business district, has been set up to “generally fair” standards by tournament director Henry Arabelo, which will basically keep driver in the bag on a number of holes.

To play just over 5,100 yards, accuracy, more than strength, will be required of the field in the 72-hole event regarded as the country’s unofficial team golf championship.

CCC also lost its top gun, LK Go, to studies in the United States, but the host squad looms as a top threat with its players knowing every bounce in the hazard-laden layout.

“Of course, that’s a plus for them,” Roberto, a many-time Philippine Team member, said. “We will have the benefit of just one practice round and we will basically be cramming to know the course.”

SW-Masters won the weather-shortened version last year at Camp John Hay in Baguio by an astounding 34 points, that’s why it is a motivation for the squad to win again this year and leave nothing to doubt.

“That’s part of their motivation,” Southwoods team official Jerome Delariarte said. “Some of them feel that there’s some unfinished business there somewhere.”

Sofia Chabon and Mika Fortuna are now the new spearheads of SW-Masters and both are expected to not play on the same days with fielding still a major factor in the tournament.

Each player will play just two rounds over four days, with teams to field four players each day with only the top three scores counting.