Wabol looks for three-peat in TOC

Jess “Mr. Unorthodox” Wabol will have a chance to three-peat when he tees off in this weekend’s 13th Tournament of Champions set at the Laolao Bay Golf Resort.

Wabol bested 12 other golfers and tamed the east and west course at the Kagman venue last year by shooting a two-day total of 150 for a four-shot lead over closest pursuer and opening day leader Edward R. Flores 154 (75-79).

The former Oleai Elementary School principal shot a 76 in the first day of competition, but bounced back with a 74 in the final day to snatch the TOC Championship Flight title from Flores’ hands.

Wabol also won the TOC Championship Flight in 1998, 2000, and 2006. For the record, Ladies Flight veteran Noriko Togawa has the most number of wins with six, including a string of five straight victories from 2001 to 2005.

Also completing her second consecutive title last year is rising teen golfer Leina Kim in the Ladies Flight. She posted a 15-stroke lead over Togawa, who won the inaugural event in 1996.

Other division winners in the 2007 edition of the TOC were Gi Yeong Kim (A); Edward H. Cho (B); Gerald Guerrero (C); Ed Manibusan (Seniors); Lito Mendoza (Super Seniors); and Rose Tarpley (Ladies Low Net).

Another highlight of last year’s TOC was the hole-in-one recorded by Japanese golfer Koji Hashimoto, who aced the 17th hole of Laolao’s west course to win a 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer.

The 13th Tournament of Champions will have an additional category this year, as the premier golf competition in the region added a two-day double Peoria to its bevy of prizes.

The double Peoria category will have the same cash and in-kind prizes set aside as the regular categories—Championship Flight, A Flight, B Flight, C Flight, Seniors and Super Seniors flights as well as the Ladies Low Gross.

First place in the said flights and the double Peoria category takes home $600, second place is $500, and third place is $500. Fourth place gets a DVD player, while fifth place bags a $100 gift certificate from DFS Saipan.

Aside from the regular prizes for topping the flights, golfers will have a chance to win cars, cash, and other in-kind prizes in four hole-in-one prizes.

Hole No. 17 at the east course, for instance, nets the lucky golfer a 2008 Hyundai Accent courtesy of Triple J Motors.

A 2008 Honda Civic from Joeten Motors, meanwhile, await anyone who makes a hole-in-one in the 13th hole of the east course. Aon Insurance, for its part, is putting up $50,000 each in holes No. 7 and 11, while a one-year free golf from Laolao Bay Golf Resort will be awarded for an ace in hole No. 6 of the east course.

In addition to the aforementioned prizes, five lucky players in this year’s tournament will also have an opportunity to win $1 million each in this year’s Million Dollar Shootout.

To enter the Million Dollar Shootout, a golfer must be a registered player in TOC. Players could purchase raffle tickets for $1 each to enter the shootout.

The tickets will be sold on Day 1 of the tournament. Five raffle tickets will be drawn and those lucky winners will have one shot each at a hole-in-one before teeing off on Aug. 3. If you are successful with the hole-in-one you will walk away with $1 million. If your ticket is not chosen, you will still be in the raffle drawing at the banquet to be held at the Saipan World Resort at 6pm on Aug. 3.

This year’s TOC will mark the 13th year of the tournament on Saipan. Since its inception, TOC has given over $500,000 to the Saipan Beautification Fund. This money has been used for the traffic medians from Garapan to the Palms Resort Saipan, the revitalization of the Garapan special district, the enhanced beautification of the Paseo de Marianas, lighting of the Beach Pathway, landscaping on the port to path walkway and other beautification projects.