BAYANI Garcia edged out Mark Anthony Dy, 2 and 1, in a thrilling duel for the club title in the Cebu Country Club (CCC) Annual Club and Class Championship last Saturday, May 11.
Garcia was clutch down the stretch, converting a pair of birdies on holes 34 and 35 to beat Dy in a pulsating 36-hole championship showdown.
Dy made the final interesting as he managed to even the game in hole 29 after being down by three in the hole 25, when Garcia converted a birdie in a par-5 hole.
The former pro Dy scored a par on holes 26, 27 and 29, while Garcia faltered with bogeys that sent the game to a deadlock with few holes left to play.
Garcia regained the lead thanks to a birdie in the par-4 30, but Dy tied it again in the par-4 No. 32 with a par against Bayani’s bogey after both players birdied the hole No. 31.
Both players scored par in 33 before Garcia pulled off stunning birdies in the next two holes to build a two-point lead with one hole to go and secure the crown.
Garcia was two up after birdies on holes 11 and 6 before a double bogey mishap in hole 15. Dy tied the game in hole 20.
Garcia made it to the championship round by beating Joseph Alvarez, 4 and 3, in the semifinals. He won against Janjan Ybañez, 3-up, in the quarters after a bye in the first phase of the match play round.
Dy’s road to the final, on the other hand, was highlighted with three impressive wins.
The 10th-seeded Dy hacked out a 3 and 2 win over No. 3 Eric Deen in the semis. He defeated No. 2-ranked Harvey Sytiongsa in the quarters, 2 and 1, after winning against No. 7 Hugo Saurat, 1-up, in the first round.
In the other divisions, the top-seeded Jacob Victor Cajita defeated No. 6 Jufil Sato, 2 and 1, for the Class A title; Peter Lee Po II beat Roberto Escaño, 3 and 1, in Class B; Matthew Garcia sneaked past No. 3 Bob Gothong, 2 and 1, in Class C; while Julius “Jayjay” Neri Jr. stunned the top-seeded Masao Koike, 3 and 1, in Class D. (RSC)