Monday, February 19, 2007 Aguinaldo rallies to rule Friendship Division in golf tourney
CAMP Aguinaldo scored 222 points at the Pueblo Golf and Country Club course here Sunday to orchestrate a come-from-behind victory in the Friendship Division of the 20th Philippine Airline (PAL) Inter-Club golf championship.
But the Aguinaldo parbusters had to share the spotlight with Lanang's Victor Gonzales who shot a hole-in-one and Canlubang, which took the early lead over Luisita in their duel for the championship division crown.
Dante Tejada toured the 5,803-yard course designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. with a five over par 77 to lead Aguinaldo. That 77 is the equivalent of 49 points in the modified PAL scoring system that awards two points for a double bogey, three bogey, four par, five birdie and so on.
Ben Liclican, the retired golfing general, backed up Tejada with 46, Frank Manalo gave 44, Manuel Domingo contributed 44 and Glicerio Sua added 41 to complete the team's scoring.
Together with their first-round 214 at the Del Monte Golf Club in Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon Thursday, the Aguinaldo bets wound up with 436 to run away with the team title in the eight-to-play, five-to-count event.
Gonzales, 65-year-old Davao native who migrated to Seattle, Washington, in 1986 and subsequently joined Bank of America as an investment banker, made the ace on the sixth hole of the Pueblo Golf and Country Club course.
He aced the par three, 150-yard sixth hole with a TaylorMade nine iron and a No. 3 Titlist ball while playing with Ben Liclican of Aguinaldo, Iligan's Tom Laya and Manny Yatco of PGA British Columbia.
In nailing his fourth hole-in-one since 1968, Gonzales won a Manila-US first class ticket from PAL.
Canlubang combined for 252 at Del Monte on Rollie Viray's 52, the 51s of Luigi Yulo and skipper Tony Olives, Lino Magpantay's 47 and took top spot in its quest for a repeat of the coveted championship division title.
As expected, Luisita also got the big numbers on Iggy Clavecilla's 53, the 51 of Francis Gaston, Tom Culligan's 49 and the 45 of Richie Garcia to remain Canlubang's closest pursuer with 246.
Iligan combined for 220 on Melanio Siao's 47, the 46 of Miguelito Valdez, Adlai Monzon's 45, the 44 of Macario Valdez and Jose Rosedo's 40 to go with its first-day 201 to capture second place with 421 in the Friendship division.
Manuel Tan Jr. scored 44, Josue Testado and Oscar Lopez carded 41 each, Christian Santillan shot 36 to go with Gonzales's 39 for to power Lanang to third place with 220 and 421.
Back to Del Monte. Cebu Country Club played the par 72, 6,412 layout with 233 to take the early lead in the Founders Division, followed by Camp Evangelista 232 and defending champion Wack Wack 230.
Only players who are 55 and older are qualified in the seniors' event with Action Asia, Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier, Callaway Golf, 105.1 Crossover, GE Aviation, GECAS, Mizuno, People Asia and Royal Caribbean as major sponsors.
Business Mirror, Fortune Tobacco, GMA 7, Honda Cars Davao, Premier Wine & Spirits, www.inquirer.net and Radio Mindanao Network, whose local station DXCC is celebrating its 55th anniversary are the corporate sponsors.
The other backers are Century Park Hotel, C-Lium Fibre, Foreign Post, Lufthansa Technik Philippines and What's On & Expat Communications.
