66th PAL Interclub begins

REMEMBER my golf fund-raising beauty pageant joke a couple of weeks ago? They could not choose a winner, and so, due to popular demand, they added a third contestant.

Host: Saan "B" (beach) tayo madalas pumunta pag summer upang maligo?
Contestant: Banyo?

Host: Hindi, pag pumunta ka doon, maaarawan ka.
Contestant: Bubong?

Host: Hindi, marami kang makikita duong mga babaeng naka-bikini.
Contestant: Beerhouse!

Very disappointed and tired, the host told the last contestant, “If you answer this last question correctly, I will declare you the winner.
Host: Sino ang pinaka-sikat na golfer sa mundo? Ang initials niya ay “TW” (Tiger Woods).

Contestant: Si Timee Wgarcia.

Host: Panalo! Panalo! Hehehe.

Let’s start with the local scene. The PAL Interclub Golf Tournament begins. The first part is the Seniors Division which started Thursday, Feb. 21 up to Feb. 24. The tournament venues for the seniors are at Alta Vista Golf & Country Club and Club Filipino de Cebu Golf Club. Around 100 teams are joining and more than 50 teams are from outside the Philippines.

The start of the PAL Interclub Regular Men’s Division is on February 27 up to March 2. The tournament venues are at Cebu Country Club and Mactan Island Golf Club. Around 78 teams are expected to join.

On the PGA Tour. The Northern Trust Open was held last Feb 14 – 17, 2013 at Riviera Country Club, Palisades, California. The winner is John Merrick, a local favorite. He won by a playoff against second placer, Charlie Beljan. Tied for third place are Fredrik Jacobson, Bill Haas, and Charl Schwartzel. Tied for sixth place are Josh Teater and Webb Simpson. Tied for eighth place are Sang-Moon Bae and Hunter Mahan. Tied for 10th place are Greg Chalmers, Ted Potter, Jr. and Adam Scott.

Take note. It started on February 14. Maybe that is the reason why many of the top players did not play so well. Baka pinagalitan ng mga asawa for choosing to play golf rather than celebrate Valentine’s day. Or, maybe an early celebration of Valentine’s day weakened their knees. Hehe. Graeme McDowell, Dustin Johnson, Zach Johnson, Lucas Glover, Bubba Watson, and other notables got cut. Most of them played terribly on day 1, Valentine’s day.

Tiger Woods was a no show because he had a very special Valentine’s weekend date in Florida. It was a date which he could not miss or else, he might get assassinated. Last Sunday, he played with President Barack Obama. They were partners in a match which was held at Floridian National Golf Club in Palm City Florida. They played with Jim Crane who happens to own the golf club they were playing at, as well as the Houston Astros, and his playing partner, Ron Kirk, the US trade representative.

I read somewhere on the net that Tiger Woods left after playing 18 holes, but President Barack Obama played another 9 holes. Hehe. Addict sa golf! And last Saturday, on the net, it said, “Obama reportedly spent eight hours with noted instructor (and Woods' one-time coach) Butch Harmon, hitting balls in his studio and playing another 27 holes.” Certified golf addict!

Change topic. Happening now on the PGA Tour is the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship. It is at the Golf Club at Dove Mountain, Marana, Arizona. What I like about this tournament is that it is match play—one on one. The top 2 players are joining. On day 1, it is Tiger Woods vs. C. Howell III, and Rory McIlroy is playing against S. Lowry. Tiger is great at match play. And he won this tournament in 2003, 2004 and 2008. I hope he wins again this year.

Good Luck to all the participants of the 66th PAL Interclub Golf Tournament!