The PAL Media Golf tournament used to be a mere fun event for sportswriters covering the PAL Interclub Golf, a blockbuster competition deemed, for the longest time, as the national team championship, whose 76th edition is now ongoing in Bacolod’s Marapara (Negros Occidental Golf Club) and Binitin (Bacolod Country Club).
Not anymore.
Held annually since 1978 or thereabouts, the PAL Media Golf has now joined the elite ranks of events of note, whose prestige has spread like wild fire — thanks in large part to Cielo “Miss Congeniality” Villaluna.
After a three-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-2022, the PAL Media Golf reappeared with a big bang — all because Cielo, the super efficient PAL spokesperson for years now, took pains assembling golfers from the broadcast sector.
Thus, was born the two-pronged PAL Media Golf tournament in 2023, with personalities lumped into the Broadcast Division and the mainstream sportswriters and online practitioners composing the Print/Online Division.
“We at PAL want everybody to be happy,” said Cielo then.
GMA-7’s Arnold “Igan” Clavio won the inaugurals of the Broadcast Division in the 2023 return of the PAL Media Golf in Cebu, with spin.ph’s Dodo Catacutan topping the Print Division.
That year saw the first-time appearance of Tiffany Neri of SunStar Cebu, Jovi Neri’s comely niece, who bravely finished the tournament despite a hurting, heavily bandaged left ankle.
Tiff missed last year’s competition in Cagayan de Oro/Bukidnon, but came back this year with a vengeance, seriously contending for the crown after the first round until bad breaks in the second and final round pulled her down.
“I will try again next year, I promise,” said Tiff, a cancer survivor turned warrior “for the beauty of life.”
Alex Santos of NET25 was the 2024 Broadcast Division winner and spin.ph’s Ding Marcelo the Print Division champion.
This year’s winners in Bacolod were columnist Chito Malabanan of EDGE Davao for Print and dzME’s Anthony Suntay for Broadcast, who received their trophies and prizes from no less than PAL President & COO Capt. Stanley K. Ng at the Feb. 15 awards ceremonies beautifully emceed by Cielo and with PAL Director David Ong and PAL’s brand-new Corporate Affairs chief Anne Tiongco in attendance.
And how did I finish?
I did not only lose. I lost my voice, too. But that’s another story.