Atalig draws 1st blood in NMI golf team tryouts

J.J. Atalig became one of the early favorites to secure a spot on the CNMI men’s national golf team after the veteran parbuster shot the lowest score in the first open tryout last Saturday at the Coral Ocean Point Golf Resort.

Ed Peters, who is supervising the open tryouts, in a telephone interview said that Atalig shot a gross score of 76 to top the first of the five-round open tryouts that will end on Feb. 21.

The tryouts are held to select four members of the CNMI men’s national golf team that will compete in the 2015 Pacific Games set from July 4 to 18 in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.

Atalig is a regular fixture in various golf tournaments in the CNMI and late last year ruled two consecutive fundraising events—with Joey Dela Cruz in the 2014 Steven Brownstein/Saipan Chamber of Commerce Golf Classic in October and the Hyatt Regency Saipan Charity Golf Classic.

Joe Camacho came in second, while Peters, who is hoping to coach the men’s team, finished third. Adam Hardwicke and Franco Santos are tied for fourth place.

The gross scores of all participants after they complete the five rounds will be compiled to determine the Top 12 who will make the final cut and move on to the next stage where they will play another five rounds. Each tryout plays 18 holes.

The Top 5 players, including the alternate, after the final five-round qualifying stage will represent the CNMI in the XV Pacific Games. The Royal Port Moresby Golf Club in the National Capital District will host the golf event.

Teams will fight for 12 medals at stake in the men’s and women’s singles and the men’s and women’s team events in the quadrennial sporting event.

Peters is hoping to form a strong team that will hopefully bring home a medal of any color.

New Caledonia remains the favorite after sweeping all four gold medals in the 2011 Games they hosted in Noumea, while Samoa, Tahiti, and the Cook Islands are also no pushovers.

Meanwhile, COP will still host the second and third rounds of the open tryouts on Jan.31 and Feb. 7, while the final two stages will be held at Kingfisher Golflinks on Feb. 14 and 21. The registration and start times are still at 10 and 11am.

Peters added the tryouts are open to all golfers. In the last four rounds, participants will only pay the green fee and an additional $20 for Team CNMI’s fund to the Pacific Games.

For more information, call Peters at 288-7482 or 788-7664.