BAGUIO CITY December 12 – Gary Sales ha a two under 66 for 38 points and pace Batangas Barakos 134 total and an 11 point lead in Fil A to kick off the second week of the Department of Tourism Fil-Am Invitational Golf Tournament at the Camp John Hay golf course Monday, Dec. 11.
Sales made four birdies, holes 2, 10, 13 and 16 which, however was marred by two bogeys at holes 6 and nine,
Gerald Katigbak added a solid 35 (one over), Takuya Kawamura and Rudy Amata carded a 32 and 29, respectively for the team’s total in the event backed by San Miguel.
The flight best, however, belonged to Ramon Capistrano who made a three under for 39 points thanks to a nearly perfect game of four birdies (holes 4, 10, 15, 18) but a lone bogey on the par 5 16th as Team Surigao tallied 123 and second spot.
Capistrano had a help from former DoT secretary Ace Barbers who made 31 points, while Lito Camo and Don Petil collected 27 and 26 points, respectively to count for the team.
Silicon Valley is at third spot with 116 points with Norman Verzosa leading the team with 30, a pair of 29s from Tommy Bergeron and Manny Dagdagan and 28 from Den Luzon.
Wednesday Club of Mimosa shot 112 points to open with an eight point lead in Am A. Armen Tinio paced the team with 30, while Emil Mendoza, Teddy Quizon and Gilbert Manansala submitted identical 29 points to count for the team.
Alaska Royalink is at second spot with 102 on the 30 of Jenz Tecson and a point off Tiyo Paeng.
Baguio City I benefited from the two point penalty of Filgolfers of Hawaii to take the early lead in Fil D. Richard Solang led the team with 28 points, Noel Sebastian added 28, while Peter Go and Bernard Capuyan chipped in 23 and 22 points, respectively, for the team’s 98 and a one point lead on the Hawaiins who actually shot 99 but got a two point penalty.
Uragun made 94 points and third spot in the flight.
Team Surigao had a pair of 27 points from Bing Alcantara and Philip Natividad for the team’s first day haul of 95 and a 14 shot lead in Am D.
Enzo Martinez shot 26 points and lead Cool Jocks with 81 and second spot. Uragun Golf A had 68 points and third spot.
Meanwhile, Junjun Plana leads a Manila Southwoods Fil Championship that include 2017 Northern Luzon Regiomal Golf Tournament champion Aidric Chan, who at 18 is also part of the Ateneo team that won last month’s Inter-school tournament.
The team, which misses last year’s individual champion Yuto Katsuragawa, will call on Carl Corpus, Hyung Kim Joo and local pride Luigi Paolo Wong.
Wong, 16, is the first Ibaloy to play in the premiere flight after Mars Pucay in the early 90s and who went on to become a professional player.
Wong was part of the national team that saw action in the last SouthEast Asian Games.
Brothers King and Ace Stehmeier lead one time champion Mizuno – X1R in the bid to oust Southwoods when play starts at CJH course. Others in the line up are: Justin Tambunting found a new home with Mizuno after years of playing with Southwoods; Brixton Aw and last week’s Seniors Fil Champ winner Rodel Mangalubnan.
Raymund Sangil formerly of Mizuno plays with Royal Northwoods with Carlo Villaroman, Richard Joson, Luis Castro and Nik Gatmaytan.
Forest Hills, also a former one time champion, will lean on Inigo Raymundo, Jude Eustaquio, Rocky Co, Dan Cruz and Mark Chan Lu.
Chepe Dulay, another Southwoods veteran, leads the Am side and will play with Lanz Uy, Kristoffer Arevalo, Jama Reyes and GJ Katigbak.
Seeing action also in Am Championship are: Team Time Cargo Logistics, Leeward – Fil-Am and Razons of Guagua.
Am action will be at the short but tricky par 61 BCC course.
By Dexter A. See
