Canlubang is going for a threepeat in the PAL Interclub in Bacolod City beginning February 21 when the seniors’ tournament starts.

Without a doubt, the elder sugar barons of Canlubang are looking to follow up on a dominating performance seen in the last two editions of the seniors’ competition-championship division of the PAL Interclub. 

A closer look at Canlubang’s lineup and the Laguna-based club’s strength is quite obvious. Now that’s definitely bad news for the rest of the field.

Tommy Manotoc, last year’s scoring champ, is once again tipped to lead Canlubang to victory. Aging like wine, the 16-year individual champion is still acknowledged as the top senior amateur at 58.

Rolly Viray, the former national amateur senior winner, is expected to provide support to Manotoc. Armed with renewed confidence and a new smooth swing, he is hoping to contribute heavily in the scoring load.

“I’m here to help the team in any way I can. My swing has vastly improved and I’m hoping to translate it to good scores,” Viray said yesterday.

Dave Hernandez is the newest addition to the squad. He played in his last PAL Interclub regular tournament in 2007 and was an integral part of the “sweet sweep.” Now, he is bringing his game to another level.

Tony Olives, Bing Bunyi, Lino Magpantay, Baxo Adriano and Dan and Darly Patalot are staples in the Laguna-based team. Although not as popular as Manotoc, Viray and Hernandez, any of them can turn in decent scores at any given time.

With these marquee stars on hand, no one is happier than Luigi Yulo, Canlubang’s amiable skipper the last several years. He may not equal the shotmaking ability of Manotoc but he sure knows how to lead and win.

Yulo, once dubbed as Alexander the Great of team captains, has superbly steered Canlubang into becoming one of the best teams in the annual PAL tournament. Canlubang proudly owns 14 titles and most of them were under Yulo’s guidance and care.

The question now is: Is there any team which would seriously challenge Canlubang’s reign?

If there’s one, Luisita would be on top of the list. It finished runner-up to Canlubang and, man-for-man, it could match up well against the sugar barons.

Iggy Clavecilla, the reigning national amateur seniors’ title holder, is at the forefront of the Luisita charge. With him are Francis Gaston, Ritchie Garcia of the Philippine Sports Commission, Freddie Mendoza, Pepot Iñigo, Bong Sison, Carlo Gamban and King Sumulong.

“We have beefed up ourselves for the event. Of course, we’ll be gunning for the title like Canlubang. Matagal-tagal na din kaming hindi nanalo,” said Luisita spokesman Mendoza.

Luisita swept the PAL Interclub in 1992, 1993 and 1998, apart from owning 12 crowns overall.

Two hometown teams—Bacolod Golf and Country Club and Negros Golf and Country Club—could have been on the prowl, too, only because of their course familiarity of the Binitin and Marapara courses, venue hosts of the PAL Interclub. However, they will be playing in different divisions.

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Canlubang is going for a threepeat in the PAL Interclub in Bacolod City beginning February 21 when the seniors’ tournament starts.

ROOKIE Samantha Nierras knocked in the game-winning goal to propel De La Salle to a 1-0 victory over Ateneo Wednesday, and lead the Lady Archers into the championship round in women’s football in Season 70 of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines at the Ateneo Field.

Swimming great Eric Buhain’s historic Best Male Athlete Award from the 1989 Kuala Lumpur Southeast Asian (SEA) Games will be one of the top attractions from among the many sports items on display in the San Miguel Corp.-Philippine Sportswriters Association (SMC-PSA) Annual Awards Night at the SM Mall of Asia on February 16.

IRISH VALENZUELA, the most promising among the country’s road cyclists, has been offered the chance to race for the Indonesian continental team PMCM CCN Dodol Picnic.

It’s a term that means “zero,” “nil,” “nothing” in tennis. According to the Guinness Book of Tennis Facts and Feats, the term could have been derived from the French l’oeuf, meaning egg. In Filipino, that’s itlog, or bokya, symbolizing nothing. Guinness also says the term could have come from the English phrase “neither for love nor for money,” indicating nothing.