Playa del Carmen Rotary Club Launches Inaugural Charity Golf Tournament

Playa del Carmen, Mexico, October 31, 2013 --(PR.com)-- On Saturday October 26, Rotary Club of Playa del Carmen Seaside hosted their first annual Charity Golf Tournament, the Seaside Rotary Golf Classic, at the Grand Coral Golf Course. Despite the inclement weather, some of the Riviera Maya’s best golfers came out to take part in this inaugural tournament and show their support for Playa del Carmen’s newest Rotary Chapter and its ongoing programs and charitable initiatives in the local community. Participating golfers took home a number of impressive honors and a variety of prizes all donated by local businesses.

The foursome of Seaside Rotarian J.J. Johnston, Marcus Roehmer, Dan Palka and Isaac DeAnda took home first place in the tournament with a 9 under par score of 62, a one shot win over second place finishers Andres Balladares, Francisco Llinas, Juan Diego Diaz and Nicolas Tsakolas.

The tournament’s Longest Drive was contested on the 18th hole and won by Francisco Llinas, with a heroic tee shot that, despite the day’s wind and heavy air, carried beyond the 300-yard marker. Llimas won a weekend for four – two adults and two children – at the RIU Peninsula Cancun Resort.

All golfers were challenged to Beat The Pro, top ranked, Junior golfer, Alejandro Dallava, on Grand Coral’s beautiful par 3 fifth hole. Four players succeeded, Seaside Rotarian Bill Sinclair, Pedro Gomez, Andres Balladares and Francisco Llimas, each winning a prize of $400mn for their efforts.

In the tournament’s signature event, the Tequila Barrel Closest-To-The-Pin Shootout, Marcus Santa Cruz, Oscar Lloyd Andrade, Juan Diego Diaz and Antonio Zumora kept spectators on the edge of their seats until, on the last shot of the third round, Andrade fired a beautiful 8 iron, landing his ball about 16 feet away from the pin, and locking up the win taking home a much coveted, week-long pass for two at the upcoming OHL Mayakoba Classic and a cash prize of $5,000mn.

Following game play, golfers joined Playa del Carmen Seaside Rotarians and friends for an awards luncheon and raffle in Grand Coral’s elegant clubhouse. Throughout the luncheon, guests were treated to live music courtesy of Explayarte School of Music. In his welcoming remarks, Rotary Club President Doug Morgan thanked Grand Coral Golf Director Glenn Doyle and staff members Emma Quinones and Fabiola Uribe for their help in making the first time venture a success. Also credited were the many local business owners who sponsored the tournament or donated prizes. Major corporate sponsors included Bric Vacation Rentals, BuyPlaya Real Estate Advisors, Calderon y Asociados, Costa Realty and The Playa Times. President Morgan stressed that 100% of the tournament’s net proceeds will go toward Seaside Rotary charitable endeavors that support the tournament motto, ”For Playa’s Kids.”

For more information about the event, visit the official website www.seasiderotarygolfclassic.com. Images from the tournament can be found on the Rotary Playa del Carmen Seaside Facebook page.

Rotary Club of Playa del Carmen Seaside is Playa del Carmen's newest Rotary Club and welcomes both men and women. Chartered by Rotary International in September 2012, "Seaside" is an English-speaking Club with 34 members representing North and South America, each dedicated to upholding the Rotary ideal of “Service Over Self.”

Rotary International is the world's oldest and largest non-profit service organization, with 34,000 Rotary Clubs and 1,200,000 Rotarians in over 220 countries. The Rotary Foundation supports grass roots level community projects sponsored by local clubs around the world and, since 1985, has led the effort to eradicate Polio. To date, there are less than 200 newly diagnosed cases in only 3 endemic counties worldwide.