THE third MVPSF Visayas Regional Match Play Championship gets going today (Monday) with the region’s leading and rising players plus a slew of aces from Luzon clashing for top honors in the men’s and ladies divisions at the Cebu Country Club.
The field slugs it out in a 36-hole stroke play tournament in the first two days with the top 32 in the men’s category and top 16 in the women’s section advancing to the tournament proper where play shifts to match beginning Wednesday.
After the first round of the knockout phase, the survivors brace for the grueling stage with two matches set on Thursday, the morning quarters and the semis in the afternoon.
The finals on Friday will also be played over 36 holes in both sides.
Lois Go, who placed eighth in the inaugural Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific Championship in Singapore last February, banners the ladies field together with Irina Gabasa, two of the leading Cebuana players vying in the event sponsored by MVP Sports Foundation and held as part of the PLDT Group National Amateur Golf Tour.
Focus will also be on Irina’s young sister Junia, who routed Kristine Torralba, 6&5, in the final to capture last year’s second edition of the event organized and conducted by the National Golf Association of the Philippines.
Carl Corpus and Paolo Wong from Luzon, who placed second and third, respectively, in last week’s Philippine Junior Amateur Golf Championship, hope to crowd the local bets in the men’s side of the week-long tournament, also serving as a prelude to the Philippine Amateur Open Match Play Golf Championship on April 23-27 at the Orchard Golf and Country Club in Dasmariñas, Cavite.