Phil Mickelson wins Phoenix Open

A GROUP of golfers decided to have a fund-raising beauty pageant. Two contestants remained. The host called Contestant no. 1 to the stage and started asking her questions.

Host: If you had a foreigner friend, where will you bring him to showcase the beauty of the Philippines?

Contestant 1: Bocaue.
Host: Bocaue. Why Bocaue? There are so many places in the Philippines? Why Bocaue?
Contestant 1: Because it is a magnificent place.
Host: Which part of Bocaue?
Contestant 1: The Bocaue Rice Terraces.

On the PGA Tour, the most recent event is the Waste Management Phoenix Open which was held at TPC Scottsdale, Arizona. The winner is Phil Mickelson. Yehey! I am glad he is still in the race. In second place is Brandt Snedeker. In third place is Scott Piercy. In fourth place is Ryan Moore. In fifth place is Ryan Palmer. Tied for 6th place are Brendon de Jonge, Bill Haas, and Brendan Steele. Tied for ninth place are Matt Every and Padraig Harrington.

If you were expecting to see Tiger Woods on the top 10 list, FYI, he did not join the tournament. By the way, last month, Tiger joined the HSBC Golf Championship in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. He did not play well and he ended up getting cut.

This week is the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am Golf Tournament. The defending champion is Phil Mickelson. Tiger Woods is not part of the roster again. I am glad Phil is around because he is my second most favorite player. I hope he wins again.

In the Philippine scene, set for this week is The Country Club Invitational tournament. This 5-million championship is a 4-day event in honor of the late Enrique Razon, Sr., the founder of ICTSI. They have been hosting this event for 11 straight years. This year, the purse is P1.5 million pesos. The top 36 players in last year's Order of Merit are the ones qualified to join. The no. 1 spot belongs to our very own Tony Lascuna, and so, he will be the person to beat.

Speaking of Tony Lascuna, last month, he won the Sabah Masters held at Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia. His prize money, $12,918 which is a little more than P500,000 pesos. He started the final day 5 shots behind the leader. And after the final hole, there was a tie between Lascuna and Singaporean Mardan Mamat. On the third playoff hole, Mamat's ball landed in the water. Seeing that, Lascuna decided to be less aggressive and played safe. His shot was too relaxed that it did not even reach the green and it almost fell back towards the water. You could see his funny 'whew'-reaction after his little mistake. Lascuna pitched to the green and 2-putted for bogey, but it was enough to win the title as Mamat missed his bogey putt. He also missed his tap in double bogey but it did not matter anymore.

It is a very good start for Tony Lascuna. He is very ready for the Philippine Golf Tour this year. I wish him all the luck. I wish all our Davaoeno golf pros the best of luck in the 2013 Philippine Golf Tour.
This last part, I usually congratulate winners of our local golf tournaments. But since I do not have any winners to congratulate this week, I will end with another joke. Beauty Pageant. The host calls Contestant no. 2.

Host: Sino ang national hero na naka-picture sa 500 Peso bill? Clue, may initials na 'N.A.' (Ninoy Aquino)
Contestant: Nora Aunor?
Host: Hindi. Ang pangalan niya ay nag-e-end sa 'Y'.
Contestant: Guy Aunor?
Host: Hindi. Dati siyang Senador.
Contestant: Si Former Senator Guy Aunor?
Host: Hindi. Patay na siya.
Contestant: ANO??!! PATAY NA SI NORA AUNOR???!!!
Happy Golfing and Advance Happy Valentine's Day everyone!