Cebu back-to-back champs in PAL interclub

CEBU CITY — Under the blazing midday sun and with the famous Queen melody “We Are The Champions” resonating in the background, Cebu Country Club celebrated its second straight Philippine Airlines (PAL) Interclub Championship division crown Saturday here.

Family members cheered and team members soaked each other with champagne as Cebu completed a wire-to-wire finish with an impressive final round score of 132 for a dominating 16-point victory in the country’s acknowledged national team championships.

Counting its earlier rounds of 120-130-125, Cebu fired a four-day total of 507 points to blow the field and retain the title it won last year in Davao City.

Already leading by nine points before the day, the Cebuanos delivered more crushing blows as they came through with their best score in the tournament over the course they knew like the back of their hands.

“We will enjoy this victory. We will relish the moment,” said Bayani Garcia, one of Cebu’s main gunners who launched the team’s bid on an impressive note during the opening round with 32 points in Mactan Wednesday.

But, with Garcia sitting it out in the final day after playing in the third round, it was Mark Dy who provided the spark with his 38 points, or two-under in stroke play, at the Cebu Country Club in Banilad.

It was a big comeback for the youthful Dy, who did not count in the first round with his 26 but whose confidence got boosted when the team placed him in the last flight.

Dy got huge support from his teammates in their final drive for the crown. Mark Sarmiento added 33, Montito Garcia had 32 and Eric Deen fired 30 for the Cebuano golfers.

Alabang placed a distant second after amassing 491 while Del Monte finished third with its 485. Sta. Elena came in fourth after scoring a total of 383 points in four rounds.

The 66th edition of the PAL Interclub is being sponsored by the Department of Tourism, 105.1 Crossover, Solar Sports, Plantation Bay Resort and Spa, 92.3 FM Radyo 5, Araneta Coliseum and AXN. Major sponsors are Airbus, Manila Broadcasting Corporation, Philippine Broadcasting Network, People Asia, Radio Mindanao Network, Business Mirror and ABS-CBN The Filipino Channel.

Corporate sponsors include Radisson Blu Hotel, Shangri-La Resort and Spa, Boeing, Inquirer Golf Magazine, Philippines Graphic and Manila Bulletin.