Premium will be on accuracy as 20 teams aim to gain the proverbial head start in a tournament with varied formats in the National Doubles Amateur Golf championship reeling off today at the short but tricky Camp Aguinaldo Golf Club in Quezon City.
Jed Dy and Mikha Fortuna loom as the tandem to beat in the three-day event with the former looking to make it two straight after teaming up with Ladies Professional Golf Association Tour-bound Bianca Pagdanganan last year. But the rest are all coming into the event all geared up to end 2019 with a victory for the momentum needed for the next season’s campaign beginning Jan. 7 at Riviera in Cavite.
Reigning Indonesian Amateur titlist Luis Castro and fellow Southeast Asian Games bronze medal team member Sean Ramos are also tipped to contend for the crown with Andres Lorenzo and Gabby Macalaguim as partners, respectively, along with the pairs of Zachary Castro and Miguel Ilas, Luigi Guerrero and Dan Cruz, Aldo Barro and Ivan Monsalve, Don Petil and Leandro Bagtas, Josh Jorge and Santino Laurel, and Jonar Austria and Marco Olives.
Play will be four-ball (best ball) at the tight par-68 layout with action shifting to aggregate tomorrow with the two-ball foursomes (alternate shot) to cap the closing event organized and conducted by the National Golf Association of the Philippines and sponsored by the MVP Sports Foundation.
Four girls’ tandems are also out to spring a surprise – Rianne Malixi and Precious Zaragosa, Laureas Duque and Eagle Ace Superal, Tomita Arejola and Nicole Abelar, and Sam Martirez and Diana Araneta, guaranteeing an unpredictable finish to the event held as part of the PLDT National Amateur Golf Tour and backed by Cignal and Metro Pacific Investments.
The tournament also serves as part of the field’s tune-up for the 2020 National Stroke Play Championship from Jan. 7 to 10.