Alta Vista hosts PAL Ladies Interclub

MANILA, Philippines - Alta Vista Golf Club will play for the first time in the Philippine Airlines Ladies Interclub golf team championships set Oct. 23-25 at its home course in Cebu City.

Eight players, including five junior standouts, will make up the squad formed after Alta Vista won the right to host the annual event for the country’s top lady golfers.

The youth-laden team will be led by team captain Marina Kauffman who will be assisted by Choi Yi Hwa and Maria Consolacion Pasion.

The pack will be headed by 17-year-old club champion Erica Lim and 11-year-old Fil-Chinese prodigy Wei Fang Gao, the only player to see action in the World Juniors in San Diego.

Rounding out the team are 18-year-old twins Gabrielle Marie and Mikylah Marie Crystal and 17-year-old Annika Lao.

Not much is expected of the squad whose golf handicaps range between 2 and 19, but can use its course familiarity to spring a surprise or two.

Manila Southwoods Masters, winner of the last two staging of the event, remains the team to beat.

Twenty five teams, including lone international club Lady Eagles Australian Golfers, are seeing action in the 36-hole, four-division event spread over four days. The new format is eight-to-play, six-to-count to be played for two rounds.

Other backers of the event are Boeing, Airbus, B/E Aerospace, Diamond Hotel Phils., Eastgate Publishing, Bluewater Maribago and Mareco Broadcasting Network (Crossover).

Aside from defending champion Manila Southwoods Masters, the other participating teams from Luzon are Manila Southwoods Legends, Alabang Golf and Country Club A and B, Camp Aguinaldo, Eagle Ridge, Riviera Golf Club, Tagaytay Highlands, Valley Golf, Wack Wack and Manila Golf.

Aside from host Alta Vista, representing Visayas are Bacolod Golf and Country Club, Cebu Country Club A and B, Iloilo Golf, Mactan Island  Golf Club, Negros Occidental Golf and Country Club and Victorias Golf.

From Mindanao, the participating teams are Zamboanga Golf, Pueblo de Oro Golf, Davao City Golf and Apo Golf and Country Club.