BACOLOD -- Here come the shotmakers from Davao City again.
This time, it is the Davao City Golf Club that is delivering for the City of Durian as it scored 90 points Friday for a three-day day total of 281 and seven points up on second-running Bacolod Golf and Country Club in the Friendship division of the 63rd Philippine Airlines (PAL) premier Men's event at Binitin in Murcia here.
Diemy Monedero and Benhur Villarosa each turned in 25 points, while Willy de Leon and Marlon Aranas added 23 and 17, respectively, for Davao with only a day left in the battle for golf supremacy.
Bacolod, the hometown bet, failed to capitalize on its familiarity with the course as it managed only 89 in the penultimate round to stay further behind at 274.
Fil-Am Hawaii carded 81 to stay at third place with 268.
Davao occupied third spot in the standings after the opening round Wednesday but shot 99 points Thursday to grab a six-point lead over Bacolod.
It was Villarosa who led the second-day charge for Davao by scoring 29 points, with Aranas making 27, Monedero scoring 23 and De Leon hitting 20.
And with Bay Area bowing out of contention after a miserable round of 62 for 247, the battle for the Friendship is now among Davao, Bacolod and Fil-Am Hawaii.
"We'll do our best for Davao," said team captain Larry Pasquil, who scored 27 in the opening round to jumpstart their campaign. He will be playing in Saturday’s final round at the Marapara course.
Just last week, golfers from Davao celebrated here after the Apo Golf and Country Club captured the Sportswriters crown in the Senior's tournament.
The event is presented by platinum sponsors Airbus, Boeing, 105.1 Crossover and Radio Mindanao Network. Major sponsors are Action Asia, GE Aviation, MTV Philippines, People Asia and Royal Caribbean.
The corporate backers and Business Mirror, Philippine Graphic, Philstar, Sabre Airline Solutions/Sabre Travel Network and Resort World Manila. Century Park Hotel, DWWW 774 AM, Panay News, Master Card and Thales Aerospace are minor patrons.
The 63rd PAL Interclub, with this year's theme "Swinging High in Baoclod, opens this year's sporting season for the national flag carrier that flies five times a day to the capital of Negros Occidental, just one of the country’s many golfing regularly served by PAL.