The fairways of Wack Wack Golf and Country Club are unusually busy this week — and for good reason.
The club is hosting the 35th Bill Shaw Classic, its flagship member-guest tournament, drawing one of the largest fields in the event’s history and once again turning the storied Mandaluyong club into the center of Manila’s golfing social calendar.
Held every March, the tournament honors former club president and golf patron Bill Shaw, whose name has long been synonymous with Wack Wack’s tradition of competitive golf and camaraderie. Over the years, the Classic has grown into more than just a tournament — it has become a week-long gathering where members reconnect, guests are welcomed, and friendly rivalries are renewed.
This year’s staging is particularly notable, with 844 members and guests joining the festivities.
To accommodate the massive field, organizers spread the flights across several days, keeping both of Wack Wack’s championship courses humming with activity from morning tee times to late-afternoon scoring.
Inside the clubhouse, the atmosphere is just as lively. Registration desks, leaderboards, sponsor booths and post-round gatherings have turned the halls into a steady stream of players comparing cards, swapping stories and checking where they stand in their respective flights.
On the course, meanwhile, the competition remains tight.
The pair of Roberto de Ocampo and Perry Uy grabbed the early lead in the overall net division, while Armand Copok and Gary Sales set the pace in the overall gross bracket after the morning session on Wednesday.
But beyond the scores, the Bill Shaw Classic continues to represent something deeper for Wack Wack.
Part tribute to a key figure in the club’s history, part reunion for its membership, and part celebration of Manila’s enduring golf culture, the tournament remains one of the most anticipated fixtures on the local golfing calendar — proof that even after three and a half decades, the spirit behind the Bill Shaw Classic remains as strong as ever.
The top five scores across divisions:
OVERALL NET — Roberto de Ocampo-Perry Uy 78, Claro Ben Lim III-Matthew Ong 77, Annika Cruz-Ma. Gabriella Hirang 77, Armand Copok-Gary Sales 75, Alex Moon-Lee Joungye 74
OVERALL GROSS — Armand Copok-Gary Sales 144, Jose Emmanuel Angeles-Jude Eustaquio 153, Alex Moon-Lee Joungye 155, Ernesto Lim-Johnny Reosura 161, Raoul Jorge-Jose Antonio Olives 165
DIVISION I -— Claro Ben Lim III-Matthew Ong 77, Annika Cruz-Ma. Gabriella Hirang 77, Armand Copok-Gary Sales 75, Alex Moon-Lee Joungye 74, Jose Emmanuel Angeles-Judson Eustaquio 69
DIVISION II — Jeffrey Villanueva-Mark Rosca 71, Ricolette Reyes-Daniel Laurel 71, Brillante Loo-Kevin Atendido 70, Farah Imperial-Franchesca Imperial 70, Christopher Chua-Neil Uy 67
DIVISION III — Jowett Sy-Johann Sy 73, Kelly Uy-Gilbert Liu 70, Karl Tan-Dexter Lee 70, Aristotle Mallare-Hubert Lim 69, Ryan Uy-Carlos Moya 67, Erwin Genuino-Joaquin Esquevias 67
SENIORS (Division I) — Raoul Jorge-Jose Antonio Olives 72, Newton Mapua-Kyoshi Takahashi 71, Edward Unson-Bing Liboro 64, Emmanuel Lim-Bryan Cockrell 63, Raymond Dan-Peter Pua 61
SENIORS (Division II) — Roberto de Ocampo-Perry Uy 78, Jimmy Kho-Shing Dee Kwan 73, Estrella Dimaculangan-Crisostomo Ferrer 62, Cornelio Sison-Noel Laforteza 60, Charlie Carmona-Danilo Morales 51.