It is a record number for the long-running amateur golf competition.
Last Thursday, February 26, the Del Monte Golf and Country Club secured its dominance in the Philippine senior golf scene after it captured its third consecutive Championship Division title at the 77th Philippine Airlines (PAL) Interclub Golf Tournament in Davao City.
The team, composed of Ernesto Apas, Billy Adag, Arsenio Mondilla, Raul Minoza, Crispin Aparilla, Romeo Jaraula, Leon Maghamil, and Ramon Velez, had amassed 599 points, the highest amongst the 17 senior teams, to clinch their trophy and medals.
Velez told, “We prepared very well, so I knew we would play well,” and noted that their winning formula was the combination of hard work and long-term teamwork.
“By working hard, you produce the best results. We’ve been playing together for more than five years, and our program started about 10 years ago,” he added.
Over to the Aviator Division, the Lanang Golf and Country Club—comprising of members Robert Anthony Te, Jose Carlos Palma Gil, Raymund Anthony Salvador, Dennis Salvador, Alberto Belen, Norben Mata Jr., Roberto Plana, and Paul Anthony Dakudao—led with 476 points, trumping both Mimosa Plus and Brittannika Team B.
“We’ve been playing together for almost 30 years, mostly with friends. Being familiar with the course gave us an advantage. Of course, we’re overjoyed—it feels amazing to win,” said Dakudao.
The 77th PAL Interclub drew a record 214 teams, with 124 teams in the senior division and 90 in the men’s regular division.
PAL’s marketing vice president Alvin Miranda noted, “It’s meaningful for me personally and for my grandfather from Washington State, who joined the Interclub after decades apart. Thank you for being part of this club.”
Meanwhile, for his part, the airline:s Vice President for Sales Justin Warby said, “The only thing more challenging than this course is keeping up with old friends after a year apart.”
“The PAL Interclub has always been about great golf and even greater bonds among the participants. We look forward to strong competition, good scores, and even better stories at the 19th hole,” he continued.
Meanwhile, here are the winners of the other divisions.
- Founders Division: Sherwood Hills
- Legacy Division: Eagle Ridge Golf and Country Club
- Friendship Division: Pinoy Twilight Golf Club
- International Division: FilAm Hawaii
- Hole-in-one: Michael Mercer (Napa De Oro Winery) and Jufil Sato (Cebu Country Club)
- INDIVIDUAL FLIGHTS
- Flight A: Byung Kyu Choi (Valley Golf and Country Club), Richard Delos Santos (Camp Aguinaldo Golf Club), Sungkyu Byun (Pueblo de Oro Golf Club)
- Flight B: Apollo Jun Lamoton (Brittannika Team B), Jose Rodelio Mangulabnan (Forest Hills Golf & Country Club), Jaime Antonio Beech (Sherwood Hills Golf Club)
- Flight C: Cipriano Abdon (Riviera Golf), Romeo Vallejo (Pinoy Twilight Golf Club), Tiberius Espinosa (Pueblo de Oro Golf Club)
- Flight D: German Tono (Sherwood Hills Golf Club), Renato Alejandria (Ayala Greenfield Golf and Leisure Club), Joe Ildefonso (FilAm Hawaii)
Founded in 1948, the PAL Interclub is considered to hr fixture in the local golfing scene, with the tournament’s team-based format emphasizing collective scoring, that blends competition with strategy and teamwork.