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RYAN Monsalve links it up again with Lanz Uy, seeking to nail the elusive crown this time in the National Doubles Amateur Golf Championship which gets going today (Wednesday, Dec. 27) at Camp Aguinaldo Golf Club in QC.
Monsalve and Uy fell short of their bid for the overall crown last year, bowing to the Carl Corpus-Yuto Katsuragawa tandem and settling for the Group I honors in the season-ending tournament serving as part of the PLDT Group National Amateur Golf Tour.
But the duo faces a formidable cast of rivals, all primed up in what promises to be a spirited battle for top honors in the three-day tournament sponsored by the MVP Sports Foundation and organized and conducted by the National Golf Association of the Philippines.
Intense action is expected right in the opening day, a four-ball (best ball) format with each pair out to come up with a strong start for the needed momentum. Play shifts to aggregate in the second day with the final round featuring the two-ball, foursome (alternate shot) format.
Monsalve and Uy launch their title drive at 9 a.m. in the company of Ivan Monsalve and Gabby Macalaguim after the 8:50 a.m. flight of Aniceto Mandanas-Carlo Quimson and Paolo Wong-Don Petil, a talented, tested pair also tipped to contend for the crown.
Others expected to figure in the title chase are the tandems of Gab Manotoc-Lester Lagman, Eddie Bagtas-Leandro Bagtas, Kristoffer Arevalo-Sharon Park, Dan Cruz-Luis Guerrero, and Rupert Zaragosa-Adrian Romero.
Harmie Constantino, a national team mainstay, is also eager to flash her local knowledge of the flat but tight layout she calls home as she teams up with Joseph Orbito, while Laurea Duque and Sunshine Zhang also hope to spring a surprise in the event.
Other pairs in the fold are Santino Gatmaytan-Tomita Arejola, Rocky Brobio-Carlo Gatmaytan, Sean Ramos-Jed Dy, Annika Guangko-David Guangko, Paolo Uy-Justine Magsino, Matthew Abalos-Kristine Torralba, Felicia Medalla-Clare Legaspi;
Sofia Legaspi-Mariel Tee, Carlo Quimson-Aniceto Mandanas, Aldo Barro-Paqo Barro and Mike Kim-GJ Katigbak.
Also on tap are competitions in the Group II, featuring the tandems of Guilbert Purcia IV-Guilbert Purcia Sr., Lido de Guzman-Jose Wenceslao, Allan Crisostomo-Pierre Ticzon, Masaichi Otake-Rald Sarmiento, and Santino Diokno-Miguel Roque; and Group III, bannered by Boom Coscolluela-Joey Anciano, Jay Carrion-Jere Fregil, Jimmy Suelo-Allen Embuscado, Edwin Abesamis-Hermie Salibio, Vic Se-Byron San Pedro, and Dennis Sta. Cruz-David Kagahastian pairs.