Oro’s Golden Friendship Cup, golf-loving PH celebrities

OVER 300 parbusters from all over the country have participated in the four-day open golf tournament, which started on Thursday, November 14, at the Pueblo de Oro Golf and Country Club in Cagayan de Oro City.

Dubbed as “Golden Friendship Cup” and organized by Jennifer Chua, the four-day event which drew participants from Manila, Zamboanga, Davao, Cebu, Tagbilaran, Bacolod, Leyte, Pagadian, Iligan and out-of-the country guests from Macau and Hong Kong.

“So far overwhelming talaga ‘yung first day namin, especially the support of all our sponsors na everyone really cooperated tapos their presence, especially during the ceremonial tee namin, its really great,” Chua, the tournament chairman, said.

According to Chua, they have received high praises from the golf players, one of them even calling the Golden Friendship Cup as “the best tournament” they ever attended.

“I know this will be a successful event because we really worked hard on this. In fact, it’s a 6-month preparation and a lot of people are helping each other,” Chua said.

The Golden Friendship Cup aims to extend and expand camaraderie of the golfers’ community in the name of good sportsmanship and goodwill while letting them feel the warmth and hospitality of Kagay-anons.

“Actually, it’s just a simple... parang out of five years being with the golfers, I want to have a golfers’ day. It really materialized,” Chua said.

“Giving it back to the golfers, in which so far that’s what we did na pampered ang lahat ng golfers,” she added.

Apart from the local, national and foreign golfers, celebrities such as Tonton Gutierrez, Samantha Lopez, Glydel Mercado, Cesar Montano, and John Estrada, who arrived in Cagayan de Oro City last Friday, November 15, also played in the tournament.

On the second day, a VIP night with the celebrities was held at the hotel garden of Limketkai Luxe Hotel, this city.

“This is the first time that we have this kind of a local tournament targeting national participants. So far, its really, really good,” Chua said.

She also assured that since the tournament will be an annual event, next year’s edition of the Golden Friendship Cup is expected to be bigger.

The tournament was held at the Pueblo de Oro Golf and Country Club, which, according to Chua, is among the top 5 best golf courses in the country.

The Pueblo de Oro Golf and Country Club is an 18-hole golf course with wide winding fairways that fans out from the clubhouse and is also a weather proof course that is bordered and lined by deep ravines.

The place is also divided into two nine-hole golf courses.