Phil my cup, please

Imagine Tiger Woods coming to Saipan (actually, he has been here but only at the airport) and playing in the St. Jude Parish Fundraising Golf Tournament. And you are his partner in a two-man best-ball format at Laolao Bay Golf Resort.

Or Lebron James coming to play in the Gualo Rai two-on-two outdoor challenge. And he’s on your team.

Or Roger Federer coming to play in the Coconut Classic at American Memorial Park. And he’s your doubles partner.

Something like that is going to happen this weekend to some lucky dude picked to partner with Phil Dalhausser in the Marianas Cup at the Pacific Islands Club.

The world’s No. 1-ranked beach volleyball player suddenly became a national television sensation en route to an Olympic gold medal in Beijing.

As soon as his plane lands, he’s the tallest guy on Saipan.

Now he’s here to play on the sands of San Antonio with anyone who has 1) ten bucks and 2) lots of luck. Think raffle.

For as great as 2008 was for Dalhausser, he could not win the Marianas Cup. My interpretation of that is simple: winning the Olympics is easer than winning the Marianas Cup. Drink some of that!

For the record, Paul Baxter and Randy Steele won the championship last year. Phil took fourth place with Chris Nelson.

Action starts tonight with a pro exhibition. Two top Japanese men are here. Two top Korean men are here. USA is, huh, well-represented.

Baxter is not Dalhausser’s regular partner but they have played together, including their first appearance in the Marianas Cup in 2004 and last year’s blistering, sand-popping performance. Expect them to play world class beach volleyball, best ever seen on any beach in Micronesia. Put that in your coconut!

Japan is represented by Shimpei Aoki and Yasuo Nakaya. Korea brings Kyung Su Shin and Su Min Jun.

Jennifer Snyder, who could play center on any men’s basketball team on Saipan, and Jenelle Koester are the USA women.

Japan has Shinako Tanaka and Hiromi Suzuki. Korea sends Ji Youn Jung and Mi Hwa Shin.

Things get more interesting Saturday and Sunday when the pros team up with local wannabes with prizes on the line in front of an overflow cheering crowd of weekend sandy maniacs cooked in sun and beer.

There are six pros to be raffled off each for men and women players who can buy as many $10 tickets as they want. Those will be the teams playing for the championship. As we have seen in the past, any team with a pro is capable of winning it all.

Whoever said “the best things in life are free” may have been talking about the Marianas Cup since the event is free to the public.

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