Thursday, April 10, 2008 Chiongbian: Tiger Woods eyes history By Edgar R. Chiongbian Teetime
THE first of four major PGA Tour golf tournaments is the Masters at Augusta, Georgia and it begins today. ESPN will be covering it so we are getting some relief from the drought and golf starvation ever since Skycable junked Solar Sports for Balls.
Our local golf aficionados are still wondering why Sky (cable) and Solar (sports), both astral sisters up, up in the skies, stars and the heavens, would cause Skycable to reach down and go for the Balls instead. What a way to solve a problem.
Anyway guys, the glory and history of being the first golfer to win four PGA majors in the same year has yet to be done and it is very clear in everyone’s mind that Tiger Woods would be the one to do it; especially now that he is playing exceptionally well.
Woods is not bragging nor is he saying anything that would lead us to believe he is gunning for it this year but we know that he is thinking about it and will go for it as his own way of taking care of business.
The next PGA majors will be the US Open during the third week of June that ends on Father’s Day, then the British Open a month later and finally the PGA Championships in August. So in five months, we will know for sure. But for Tiger, it must be first things first, and to not look too far ahead, or else it will be ‘hasta la vista’ baby, this Sunday.
WINNERS. Congratulations to last Saturday’s winners of the UBS golf tournament at Cebu Country Club (CCC). The overall and lowest gross champion went to Carl Almario with a 3-under par gross 69. The lowest and overall net champion went to Gerry S. Uy (Justin’s better-looking brother) with a net 60.
In the end, the UBS golf tournament was a competition or computation of countbacks. A net 65 was a not a guarantee for a win. If you scored a net 64 and you were in Class C and D, you would have lost because net 63 was the highest winning score. Emcee Ed Misa wasn’t shy in using the term moderate creed when the winners were announced, to the roar of all the losers but the dismay of the winners.
All the three Class A winners had net 65s and the champion via countback was Gabriel Yap Jr., brother Gilbert was first runnerup and Tadashi Ochia was second runnerup. Two more players in Class A also had net 65s and were losers of the dreaded countback contest.
There was another battle of 65s in Class B and champion Christopher Kokseng won via countback with his gross 79, and sent Kenneth Dyguani’s gross 78 to first runnerup with Collin Go’s net 67 at second runnerup. The Class C champion was Fred Agor (net 61), first runnerup was Johnny Go (net 62) and second runnerup was Joy Anthony Ong (net 63).
Rolly Tan (net 61) won Class D with his 36-handicap. At first runnerup was Hideki Anai (net 62) and at second runnerup was Marcelino Po (net 63). Gerry Uy’s lowest net saved the day for Marcelino Po, otherwise he would have lost with his 63.
Seniors division champion was Benito Chia (net 61), with Vicente Sy (net 65) and Julius Neri Sr. (net 66) at second and third, respectively. The guest division was a battle of the zero and one handicaps; Enrico Solon reigned as the champion with a net/gross of 72, with Alex Yeo net/gross of 73 and Clifford Celdran net 73, gross 74 at second and third, respectively.
Golf Tip. What is more important in putting, the break of the ball (allowance) or the speed of your putt? Every amateur knows the answer but do most of them apply the rule? The answer is no.
The undulations of the greens and slopes are the most obvious reason to give an allowance or break to track the ball to the hole. However, the faster the ball rolls, the less it is affected by the slope and the slower the putt rolls, the more the break. There is some factoring involved.
If your speed is correct and you misread the putt, your ball will end up near the hole. But if your speed is wrong even when you read the putt correctly, you will end up with another long putt. So the last thought in your mind before you putt should be the speed and you will most likely prevent three-putting the hole.
