Cebu Country Club seizes lead

DEFENDING champion Cebu Country Club (CCC) got to a start it wanted, taking a one-point lead after the first day of the Championship Division of the Pal Interclub men’s tournament at the Mactan Island Golf and Country Club.

Mike T. Limpag

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Playing in the unfamiliar layout of MIGC, which organizers say could be the tipping point of the tournament, CCC came out on top with 120 points, just one ahead of last year’s runner-up Del Monte, while Alabang is third with 117.

The Young LJ Go and Bayani Garcia led the charge with 32 points each, while Atty. Jovi Neri got off to another good start, contributing 30 points in the first day of the tournament.

Carl Almario had a slow 26, while the 26 of Mark Dy--who once tallied a CCC-best 40 points in 2007--didn’t count.

Jelbert Camoro also had a solid round for Del Monte, finishing the day with 34 points, while Noel Langamin also had 30. However, the two were the only players to breach 30 points, with Francis Morilla hitting 28 and Leonardo Lofranco scoring 27.

Alabang also had a couple of players hitting 43 points—Andres SAldaña and Justin Quite, while Miguel Shah and Dax Garcia had 27 and 26 points, respectively.

CCC, which is going for a second straight crown, is expected to expand the lead today as its players take advantage with their familiarity with their home course, which will host the second round.

“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 Hechanova said. “We didn’t get the strong start that we wanted, but at least we are in the lead.”

Meanwhile, co-host Mactan is at fourth place in the Sportswriters division with 102, six points off early leader Zamboanga.

Andrew Cañete led Mactan with 30 points, while Boyez Dizon and Nilo Seno had 27 and 24 points, respectively. Marlo Lugtas had 21 points.

Another Cebu-based team, Club Filipino de Cebu is at fith spot with 99 points. Evans Tumalinawan and Raymond Garcia led the team with 27 points each.

In the Founders division 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 scored 103s.