BACOLOD–Senior play, which takes the lid off of the 76th edition of the Philippine
Airlines (PAL) Interclub on Monday, will have the Championship division playing the
tree-lined Marapara on the first and last rounds and Binitin in the middle two with lift-
clean-and-place in effect because of rains here the past few days.
And this comes as no surprise to Luisita non-playing skipper Jeric Hechanova, with
Marapara the more difficult course owing to its length and trickiness, that’s why the team
has a plan of playing its long hitters in the first and final rounds.
“I have no choice but to play my longer (hitting) guys at Marapara,” Hechanova said
while refusing to say which of his players he has told of this ploy. “The length of the
course will just demand a lot from the players, while the Binitin now is a thinking man’s
course.”
Del Monte will be defending its maiden Senior crown, and Hechanova believes that the
Bukidnon club is still the team to beat, with the Del Monte course in Bukidnon playing
slightly similar to Marapara.
“And they have an intact line-up,” Hechanova said. “So there’s no doubt that they are the
favorites.”
Del Monte ran away with its breakthrough title last year in Cagayan de Oro, winning by
17 points over Canlubang. The Yoyong Velez-skippered squad took an 18-point lead into
last year’s final round and was never threatened, and that’s something that Hechanova
feels will be key again this year.
“If we are going to contend for the title, we need to have a sizeable lead going into the
final day at Marapara,” he said. “Otherwise, catching up on this course will be very hard
to do in the final round.”
Canlubang is the third team seen as a force for the title. Led by Abe Rosal, the Sugar
Barons have the second-most number of titles in the 55-years-old and above category
after the Luisitans.
“It’s a very wide-open tournament from where I see it,” Rosal said. “It’s such a balanced
tournament that I see that team making the least mistakes as the team that wins it.”
Corporate Affairs Department, G/F Lucio K. Tan, Jr. Center, PAL Gate 5-A Andrews Avenue, Pasay City, Philippines 1300
Men’s action will follow next week starting Tuesday, with Manila Southwoods seeking
another ‘four-peat’ with a team built around hotshots Shinichi Suzuki and reigning PH
Am champion Zeus Sara and ex-pro Jerome Delariarte.
The 76th staging of the PAL Interclub is supported by Platinum sponsors PRIMAX and
Asian Journal.
Mastercard is a gold sponsor while RMN is a silver sponsor.
ABS-CBN Global is joining as a bronze sponsor while VISA, Philippine National Bank,
SM Bacolod, Tanduay and Asia Brewery are minor sponsors. Citadines is a hotel partner.
