The PAL Interclub Written by Nimrod NL Quiñones

The Philippine Airlines (PAL) Interclub is regarded as the annual club championships of the country.  This year’s 65^th edition of the golf tournament is hosted by the Apo Golf and Country Club and the Rancho Palos Verdes Golf and Country Club in Davao City.

            The competition for the seniors’ division opened last February 16 and would run until the 19^th while the men’s regular event would start on the 22^nd and last until the 25^th.

            Cebu has been sending teams to the tournament every year with Cebu Country Club puling a string of successes in the second-ranked Founders Division several years ago.

            The seniors’ tournament is open to players aged 55 years old and above.  Each team is allowed to field a maximum of eight players where four would play each round and only the three best would count for the team total for the round.

            The Molave Points System is used for the seniors’ tournament.  In this format a double-eagle is worth 7 points, hole-in-one 6, eagle 5, birdie 4, par 3, bogey 2, and double-bogey 1.  If a player would still make a stroke after missing his attempt for a double-eagle, the team is penalized two points.

            The men’s event is one of the toughest with the tees pulled all the way back to test the mettle of the top amateurs, who carry the banners of their respective golf clubs.

            The scoring system used is called Stableford, which has long been referred to as the PAL Points System here in the country.

            The format gives a player 6 points for a double-eagle, 5 for an ace, 4 for eagle, 3 for birdie, 2 for par, and 1 for bogey.

            If the numbers boggle you as a non-golfer, don’t worry, it is actually easier to understand the scoring format used in the tournament as the team with more points wins. 

            Aside from Cebu Country Club, two other Cebu teams are sending players for both the seniors’ and the men’s regular events.  These are Alta Vista Golf and Country Club and Mactan Island Golf Club.

            Mercedes Plantation Golf and Country Club, which is based in Medellin in the far north of the island is sending a team for the seniors’ event only while Club Filipino Incorporada de Cebu only has a men’s team.

            Next year, players are looking forward to coming back to Cebu.  The last time Cebu hosted the event was in 2001.

Players of the seniors tournament enjoy their time on the spotlight.


The sportswriters from Manila, Cebu and Davao gather every year to cover the event.


Carl Almario is a regular member of the Cebu Country Club team.


Team Club Filipino.


Bayani Garcia is known to deliver the goods for Cebu.


Enrico Solon has been carrying the banner of Alta Vista for several years.


Sexy stars entertain the players during the award rites.


Cebu Country Club has been the most successful Cebu team in the tournament.

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