Baguio City—Organizers of the 70th Fil-Am Invitational Golf Tournament are confident that the weather will cooperate when games begin on December 1 at the Baguio Country Club and Camp John Hay golf courses.
“The weather is good this year unlike last year,” said Fil-Am co-chair Anthony de Leon during a press conference at the CJH golf club Wednesday.
With good weather the past two months, both golf clubs were able to spruce up their fairways and greens.
BCC was also able to finish the golf cart path and players can tour the link with no hitch. Some of the older players see the course as punishing due to its terrain.
Last year has been bad for the Fil-Am when rains damaged portions of the two courses, particularly during the onslaught of typhoon Ompong in September.
Only once did the organizers cancel a game, during the 2008 edition when some of the senior games were reduced to three days because one playing day was removed due to heavy rains.
The two golf clubs are once again bracing with the coming of close to 1,400 players from the Asia-Pacific rim, according to De Leon and co-chair Tim Allen of CJH.
Roanne Galicia of the technical committee said that there will be 157 teams in the regular divisions of 833 players, alternates not included. On the other hand, the seniors’ division will have 96 teams or 507 players and “still counting” for both, she added for the tournament that will end on December 18.
“It is only until the captain’s meeting will we be able to finalize the number, but 1,400 is not far,” said Allen, who admitted that it is only until the captain’s meeting when they can finalize the number of players for the tournament.
“But it is slowly growing from the 1,100 players that played when I came back five years ago,” added the American John Hay golf manager.
At least 80 teams are on the reserve list, hoping to take part in the golfing event founded by the late Sen. and actor Rogelio dela Rosa and then Camp John Hay commander Major Archie Black in 1949.
Since it is the 70th staging, Fil-Am spokesperson Andrew Pinero said that it will have something “spectacular” that will make the tournament worth remembering.
The Fil-Am starts on December 1 with the first day of practice round and the captain’s meeting. Two more rounds are scheduled on December 2 and 3 with the tournament proper beginning on the 4th and will be played until the ninth.