Abe Avena hopes to start out strong and avoid going through another thriller as he shoots for back-to-back title feat in the Philippine Seniors and Mid-Amateur Open Championship which starts today (Wednesday) at Mt. Malarayat Golf and Country Club in Lipa City, Batangas.

Avena battled back from three shots down with four holes left in regulation then the club bet nipped Rolly Viray in a playoff to snare last year’s title in the centerpiece Seniors Open for 55-years-old and above).

But Viray, a former national amateur champion from Canlubang, is raring to get back at Avena together with last year’s third placer Damascus Wong and some of the top players in the ranks, including Tommy Manotoc, Mari Hechanova, Alan Alegre, Dave Hernandez, Raul Montealto and Rene Unson.

Abe Rosal, the 2017 champion also from Cangolf, is also back in the hunt after skipping last year’s edition of the event organized and conducted by the National Golf Association of the Philippines and backed by the MVP Sports Foundation, Cignal and Metro Pacific and held under the PLDT Group National Amateur Tour.

Also on tap is the Mid-Amateur Open division (25-years-old-and-above) headed by Brixton Aw, Gerald Katigbak, Edcel Opulencia, Reggie Torres and Oliver Gan, while other titles are also set to be disputed in the Mid Am Division I (25-54 years with HDCP Index of 8.0-15.0), Mid Am Division II (HDCP Index of 15.1-24.0), Senior Division I (55-59), Senior Division II (60-65) and Super Senior (66-and-above).

Tags: Abe Avena , Abe Rosal , Mt. Malarayat Golf , Mt. Malarayat Golf and Country Club , National Golf Association of the Philippines , Oliver Gan , Raul Montealto , Rene Unson , Rolly Viray , Tommy Manotoc