The tandem of reigning club class A champion Jufil Sato and JJ Alvarez set the early pace in The View Invitational 2024 played at Alta Vista Golf and Country Club in Pardo, Cebu City.
The four-day event opened on Thursday with 18-year-old Clive Paca taking the spotlight as he aced the 150 yards hole No. 2 using a Mizuno 9-iron and a Titleist 3 ball.
Several teams were still on the course as of this writing for their opening round. Sato fired a net 39 points in the Modified Stableford Scoring System, while his guest partner, Alvarez, made 34 points. The team has an aggregate of one-under-par 73 points.
At second is the duo of 14-year old Eric Jeon and Mary Kim Hong. Jeon shot 35 points while Hong made 37. They are tied with Lester Cañizares (38) and Basilio Bautista (34).
The father and daughter duo of Jong and Hannah Melendez combined for 69 points while four teams are bunched behind them at 67. These are Baltaire Balangauan and Dominic Gotiong, Anwar Abarintos and Wally Lim, Choi Aznar and Rey Goliat, and the father-and-son team of Koko and Ribo Holganza.
Paca, who will graduate from Senior High School at the University of San Jose-Recoletos on Saturday, sent his tee shot straight to the hole early morning on Thursday. The feat was witnessed by Eric Prado and his partner JR Aguilon and club GM Nimrod NL Quiñones. His feat won him Php 100,000 from the tournament committee. The amount will be shared in case another player will also hit an ace on the same hole or at holes 6 and 13.
In the senior’s division for teams whose total age is not less than 120 years and no member is below 55 years, reigning club super senior champion Masahisa Kawakami and Matsuo Masaru set a scorching pace.
Kawakami shot 38 points while Masaru had 39 for a total of 77 points.
At second is the team of Rey Dira (40) and Boy Nemenio (31) with 71 points. Marlo Cugtas (36) and partner Elvis Jequinto (31) are four points back with 67.
The main hole-in-one prize is P1 million on holes No. 8 and 15. The tournament has drawn a full field of 400 players. / ML