CCC takes one-shot lead on day of soaring scores
Cebu Country Club barely made it out on top of a day of ballooning scores, shooting 120 points yesterday at tight Mactan Island Golf Club for a one point lead over Del Monte at the start of the 66thPhilippine Airlines Interclub’s Regular Men’s championship.
Burly Bayani Garcia and teenager Lloyd Jefferson Go both churned out four-over-par 76s worth 32 points each, and Jovi Neri shot 30 with either 26 of Mark Dy and Carl Almario counting to make up one of the lowest opening day scores to lead the tournament in recent times.
Del Monte, the 2011 champion, got 34 points from 15-year-old Jelbert Gamolo, 30 from Noel Langamin and the 28 and 27 of Francis Morilla and Leonardo Lofranco for its 119, which was two points better than third-running Alabang.
Lefty Andres Saldana, a talented 18-year-old who has his eyes on a professional career, and veteran campaigner Justin Quiban each shot 32 with Miguel Shah firing a 27 and Dax Garcia pooling 26 points for Alabang, labeled as the darkhorse here.
“Despite the 32, I thought I played well,” the 27-year-old Garcia said. “We hope to separate from the pack tomorrow (today) when we play our home course.”
“I had even thought that we would be shooting 124 on the first day, and that’s an average of just 31 for each player, which is low,” Cebu CC official Jeric Hechanove said. “We didn’t get the strong start that we wanted, but at least we are in the lead.”
FOUNDERS
In Founders action also at Mactan, Orchard shot 114 points built around the 30 of TJ Benitez and the 29 of King Stehmeier, for a nine-point lead over Southwoods. Allan Arcilla fired a 28 and Ace Stehmeier 27 for Orchard.
Steve Yoon paced Southwoods with 31 points even as Apo was third with a 103 after getting 29 points from Jose Saavedra. Negros and Eagle Ridge also pooled 103s.
Cebuano team Alta Vista is at fifth place with 100 points. The team scorers were Wei Wei Gao with 28 points, David Park added 26, Dennis Canoy with 24 and Enrico Solon with 22.
FRIENDSHIP
Zamboanga takes the top spot in the Sportwriters division with 108 points followed by Saranggani with 103 and Mactan Island with 102 points.
The other Cebuano team in the division–Club Filipino is at 4th place with 99 points.
Today, action shifts to Cebu Country Club, a well-manicured gem right at the heart of this city, where the defending champions are expected to hit hard with a lineup that has eight-time club champion and playing skipper Montito Garcia. /with reports from PR
