The new aces for this year include September Ace of the Month winner, Tars Olopai; November ace, Bae Yong Man; junior golfer and January ace, Luis Byun and July ace, Manny Mangarero.
They will be battling it out against the veteran golfers who had been playing in the last few years of the RGA.
Aside from Byun who had started playing golf at the age of seven there will be Asterio Tawanpiy who has been on fire the whole year of RGA monthly aces.
Jess I. Wabol who netted 67 in winning the March Ace of the Month will be at it again. He won the HANMI championship, the Kristo Rai Fundraiser and Mt. Carmel Tournament this year.
New member, Manny Mangarero who has been easily shooting a very score when he become RGA member and started playing earlier this year is another man to beat.
Nick Sablan, the August ace was a member of the CNMI national team who participated in the tournament in Fiji in 2003.
Bae Yong Man who joined in the professional’s pool in Korean Tournament for 10 years will also be one of the toughest challengers.
Defending champion Andy Nepaial will not be able to play this time as he had left the island for Japan recently.
Sonny Flores, the October Ace of the Month, is a former champion winning the RGA 1995 Championship is one that other RGA members can not be too confident about.
This year’s RGA Club Championship will be held at the Kingfisher Country Club in Talafofo, Check time will be 10 a.m., and tee time will be 11 a.m.
There will be two games during the Club championship—one for the monthly aces and the other that is open to all RGA members.
The monthly aces will have the chance to win in both games.
In their own round, the monthly aces can win $200 plus another $200 fee for any next year’s tournament of their own choice. In the non-ace round to which they are free to play, they can win up to $250 price.
Aside from $250 first price, the tournament that is open for all RGA members has in the pot, $200 for second placer; $150 for third and $120 for the fourth.
Award also awaits for those who will have the least and most putting; low and high gross shot and closest to the pin in the holes Nos. 6, 8, 12 and 14.
In consolation category, players can win for most birdies, most pars, most bogeys, double bogeys and triple bogeys.
The RGA members who played in this year’s 10 rounds and the Memorial Classic pay $30; those who played in Memorial Classic alone, $30; those who played in 10 rounds but did not in Memorial Classic, $80 and those who played less than 10 rounds and did not in Memorial Classic, $100.
Wabol in an interview last night said the first timers like Dwain Stephen, the December Ace of the Month can surprise the veterans because they are “hungry” for title.
Byun who started playing seriously when he was in Grade 8 said in a separate interview he is confident he can beat the veterans.
Now a 10th grader at the Marianas High School, Byun who win the B Flight during the Tournament of the Champions last August 3 believes he can beat Wabol and Bae.
