This early, CCC eyeing 73rd PAL victory

With a targeted, much-coveted win next year, Cebu CC will have become the only four-time winner this decade after Southwoods’ streak of four victories from 2015 to 2018.

Abirdie tells me that Cebu Country Club is still in Cloud 9 over its victory in the 72nd PAL Interclub Golf championship exactly a week back.

If it would take the Cebuanos an eternity to celebrate, why, let’s give it to them.

Its PAL Interclub victory was, indeed, one for the books.

For one, Cebu CC was merely in the Founders Division, a second-division bracket. The team was never in the pundits’ radar. Second class.

It is in the Championship Division where the elite teams were supposed to have a lock of the overall crown, including eight-time champion Luisita, 2004 and 2011 champion Del Monte, upstart Tagaytay Highlands and, yes, defending champion Southwoods.

The Carmona, Laguna-based Southwoods appeared formidable as usual as it virtually paraded the same players that won the Fil-Am Invitationals in Baguio last December.

But Cebu CC wasn’t only battle-ready. It also seemed destined to win it.

In Cebu, aside from denying Southwoods a record-equaling “five-peat” achieved by Canlubang from 2006 to 2010, Cebu CC’s victory also put the Cebuanos on the cusp of history.

For, with a targeted, much-coveted win next year in either Davao or Cagayan de Oro, if not 2016 host Clark, Cebu CC will have become the only four-time winner this decade after Southwoods’ streak of four victories from 2015 to 2018.

Prior to its victory last Saturday, Cebu CC scored a rare backto-back triumph in 2012 in Davao and in 2013 in Cebu.

And, if this early, the Cebuanos, like proverbial Olympians, have started preparing for their title-defense next year, applause.

“Our 2019 champions Bayani Garcia, Pio Neri, Mark Dy, Harvey Sytiongsa, Mark Gonzalez, Nino Mendoza, JJ Alvarez, Eric Deen, Hugo Saurat, playing team captain Marko Sarmiento and team manager Peter Po deserve endless cheering if only because of their fortitude and courage amid adversity.”

Listen to a ranking CCC director:

“This year’s winning team got a lot of support from the Board of Directors and we will give them even more support after this heart-warming victory.”

Now you know.