Over 200 golfers expected at TOC

More than 200 participants are expected for the 16th Annual Tournament of Champions, which will be held on Aug. 6 and 7 at the Laolao Bay Golf & Resort.

Registration is set at $175 for the two-day tournament. Showtime is at 6am, while shotgun start is at 7am.

First place winners in the Championship, A, B, C, Senior, and Super Senior flights will each receive $600 cash, $500 for second, $400 for third, a digital camera for fourth, and a $100 Duty Free Shops gift certificate for fifth place. The Ladies’ low-gross champion will receive $600, $500 for second and $400 for third place. The Top 3 Ladies low-net finishers will all be awarded trophies.

Besides the cash awards for flight winners, a brand new 2011 blue Ford Fiesta from eight-time gold sponsors Joeten Motors and the Joeten Charitable Fund is at stake as hole-in-one prize on the par-3 No. 16. Other hole-in-one prizes include $50,000 from AON insurance, a 2011 Mazda 3 from Triple J Motors, two business class tickets to anywhere in U.S. from Delta Airlines, and $25,000 from Bank of Hawaii.

In addition, two $1,000 closest-to-the-pin cash prizes will also be up for grabs and a multitude of prizes will be raffled off throughout Sunday’s awards banquet, including one year of free golf at Laolao Bay.

First time competitor, Geon Ju Lee of Korea, won the Championship flight last year with an even score of 144 in the 36-hole event. Saipan’s Leina D. Kim topped the Ladies’ field by six strokes with a low gross of 149; Xian Lai Cui took the A flight honors with a 154 series; B Flight’s Young Woo Lee beat Prescil D. Azarcon in a tiebreaker after after their identical scores of 160; Eun Sam Cui’s 163 won him the C Flight by four strokes; NMASA Hall of Famer Tony Satur topped the Senior flight by three strokes with a 153; and Duke Yoo’s 162 stole the Super Senior flight from Bill Garris (163) after they were knotted in a three-way tie with Jesus. M. Taitano (67) heading into the final round.

Ladies’ Young Hee Yoo of Korea took the low net honors with a 145.8 over Sun Park (146) and Sherlyn Jones (146.4). Last year’s tournament drew 240 players.

Proceeds from this year’s TOC will go to the Saipan Beautification Program to help assist in the repair of the Mt. Topochau stairways and railings and leveling of the area.

In the past, TOC proceeds have gone towards improving the tree-lined traffic medians in Chalan Piao, Dandan, and Susupe. Funds were also used for the revitalization of the Garapan special district, Paseo De Marianas and the Prot to Park Pathway. Over the past 15 years, TOC has given over $500,000 to the program.

For more information or to register, call Marida Pensader at 236-2530 or Rose Wanket at 236-2511 or visit www.tocsaipan.com.