Nine of the 15 champions from last year’s Southwoods Chairman’s Charity Cup are set to return for a shot at back-to-back titles, promising intense competition across various categories.

The Manila Southwoods’ flagship tournament kicks off tomorrow at the Legends and Masters courses and introduces an exciting new format to elevate the challenge.

Several key players are seeking repeat victories, including men’s low gross champion Jun Plana, seniors’ low gross winner Marty Ilagan, and other category champions like Claudine Garcia (Ladies I), Allan Yap (Men’s 2), Richie Santos (Men’s 3), Gerald Castillo (Men’s 4), Fred dela Cruz (Seniors 1), Oscar Lactao (Seniors 3) and Ayel Reyes (Sponsors/Guests).

With a field of 500 golfers, competition will be fierce across divisions, which include categories like Ladies II and III, Seniors II and IV, Men’s 1 and Ladies low gross.

The three-day tournament, concluding on 16 November, will adopt a two-person, member-member team format with aggregate scoring. Participants can sign up with a partner or join solo to be paired by the tournament committee if needed. The format change is expected to bring an engaging twist to the event.

In keeping with tradition, players will compete in an 18-hole round under the Modified Stableford Points system, with handicaps applied. To keep the game flowing smoothly, players must pick up their ball after a net bogey, reducing delays on the course.

Hole-in-one prizes this year are especially enticing, including a Mitsubishi XForce GLS 1.5G from MMPC and Alpine Motors Corp., a Toyota Raize 1.2E CVT 2025 from Toyota Silang and a seven-night Mexican Riviera cruise for two with round-trip airfare between Manila and Los Angeles, courtesy of RCI and Baron Travel. If no player scores a hole-in-one, these prizes will be raffled off.