BATTLEFIELD: BAGUIO

BAGUIO CITY — The City of Pines will turn into a battlefield as the 74th Januarius Fil-Am Invitational golf tournament erupts next month.

A total of 1,400 players from 260 teams will clash for pride and glory in the senior and regular divisions of this prestigious event that is considered as one of the longest-running amateur golf tourneys in the world.

The senior division will be held from 26 November to 4 December while the regular division is set from 5 December to 14 December at the Baguio Country Club (BCC) and Camp John Hay (CJH).

Fil-Am co-chairman Jude Eustaquio said they are leaving no stone unturned in making sure that competitors, team officials and guests will have a tournament to remember as they gear up for their diamond edition next year.

Eustaquio said both courses, which are notorious for their tight and demanding layouts that would definitely test the players’ skills and composure, have undergone some major renovations in preparation for one of the most-awaited amateur events in the country.

“Aside from being held in the City of Pines, where you can experience playing in ‘air-conditioned’ course close to the Yuletide season, there are some renovations done to give our players an ultimate experience,” said Eustaquio, a former national team member who now serves as general manager of the CJH Golf Club, during the press launch on Monday at the BCC.

“For one, we have renovated Hole No. 16 while improving our practice facility by renovating our driving range. We also have refurbished our Mulligan Bar to make sure that players will enjoy our food and beverages after their rounds.”

Fil-Am co-chairman Anthony de Leon added that they have also made some key improvements in the facilities of the BCC in preparation for the Fil-Am event.

“Fil-Am is such a special event that aims to give golfers a unique experience. That’s why we have renovated Hole No. 2 as well as the penthouse unit and ambassador suite. We also resurfaced our roads and repaired our main gate in which we will introduce the use of RFID passes to members so that we’ll avoid traffic going in.”

But the battle will not be easy.

Nine-time champion Southwoods remains a powerhouse in the regular division as it parades some national team members, including those who helped the country regain the Putra Cup title after 11 years of drought last July.

But the battle will not be easy.

Filipino-British sensation Enrique Dimayuga, who played a key role to the Filipinos’ impressive run in the Putra Cup in Singapore, will be at the helm together with Jet Hernandez, Miko Granada, Shinichi Suzuki and Zeus Sara.

Meanwhile, the Carmona-based squad will parade Santino Laurel, Patrick Tambalque, Zach Villaroman, Coby Rolida, Tristan Padilla and Rafa Leonio as they seek to dethrone Eastridge for the senior division crown.

Last year, Southwoods banked on the 40 points of junior golfer Suzuki en route to a commanding total of 523 points in the four-day event. Eastridge scored 515 points while Janurius pooled in 507 to settle for third place in the regular division.

Eustaquio said teams are now forming their respective competitive rosters in a bid to knock the crown off Southwoods’ head.

“Who can formulate a formula to dethrone Southwoods? They are shooting for their 10th straight title and it will be a huge challenge to dethrone them,” said Eustaquio, referring to the squad being skippered by Thirdy Escaño.

“All squads are now working to form competitive rosters. Eastridge and Januarius Holdings are said to have some very competitive players. Some of them are even my contemporaries. They may not be young, but they are still very competitive.”