BAGUIO CITY (14 Dec) – With Yuto Katsuragawa and Aidric Chan shooting a three under 66 for 39 points, the Manila Southwoods assembled a penultimate round of 149 and pad their lead to 42 to virtually clinch the premiere Fil Championship flight title in the 69th Fil-Am Invitational golf tournament at the Camp John Hay today (December 14).
This as the Am Championship team upped their lead to 51 points, breaking already last year’s 50 point margin, after tallying 119 points for 396 at the Baguio Country Club course.
Katsuragawa’s eagle aided three performance could have been better after his ball landed some seven inch from the pin of the par four eighth hole. “That was close,” said the International Global Studies student from Nihon University of Tokyo and Shizuoko.
His score was later tied by Chan, who birdied the difficult nine after driving to the bunk, then blasted to within a putter for the birdie.
This as his cousin Carl Corpus bucked a four over at the back nine with a four under at the front nine to walk home with an even par for 36 points, while Aguri Iwasaki had his best round of one over for 35. Junjun Plana had a 32 and did not count.
Baguio Country Club shot a closing round 92 for 408 points for a 13 point victory in Fil B Friday (Dec. 14) at the CJH course.
Royal Northwoods now has to contend with Forest Hills for the second place after shooting 138 points for 373 and a six point lead on the latter, last year’s runner-up.
Local boy Luigi Paolo Wong had an even par for 36, Nik Gatmaytan with a 35, even as Carlo Villaroman and Raymund Sangil added a 34 and 33 for Northwoods.
Inigo Raymundo had an even par for 36 to lead Forest Hill which tallied 136 for 367, Jude Eustaquio and Rupert Zaragosa came in with a pair of 35, while Dan Cruz added 30 to count for the team.
Mizuno X-1R had 121 points for 328.
Lanz Uy had a three over 64 for 33 points to lead his young Southwoods squads to 119 and 396 total over the three days.
Masaichi Otake came in with a 31, while Sean Ramos and Jeff Jung came in with 28 and 27, respectively, to count for Southwoods. Josh Jorge had a 23 and did not count.
Batangas Barako came in with 104 and 345 for second spot, while Philippine Navy had 101 and 332 which is just one up on Forest Hills Nicklaus, which assembled 103 points.
Razons of Guagua is a distant fifth with 91 and 309.
Southwoods golf manager Jerome Delariarte expressed satisfaction over the performance of the teams. “We expect them to shoot at least an even par (36) and what they did today at John Hay, is what we expected,” said the former Southwoods player who helped the team win six straight from 1997 to 2003 and the club’s second run from 2006 to 2009.
Delariarte said that their program is working quite well as the younger players – Otake, Ramos and Jorge – have experienced BCC finally.
“They are new additions to the team and we hope that they learn from this tournament,” added Delariarte, who will miss Chan and Corpus who will enroll in the United States next year for college.
Ultraflite Golf Club took second place after a 99 and 395, while Ventureslink-Robros—Jayworkx snatched third place from Camp John Hay after a flight best of 105 and 389, seven up on the co-host.
Team SurigaoPharma Omni took one of the top podiums for the Mindanao squad after closing out with 100 and 403 points for a 23 point win over Green Waters Meadow which made 86 and 383. Club Salami, meanwhile, had a flight best 107 for 369 and third place in Am B.
Uragun Golf B denied Team SurigaoMagilasa top podium finish when it outscored the latter 87-78 to take a two point lead in Fil E. Uragun had a four day total of 324 against the 322 of the three day leader.
Despite getting a two point penalty, Fil-Golfers of New York managed to edge Eton for the third place. The Big Apple players managed 77 points after the penalty and an aggregate 305 for a four point decision on Eton which closed out with 71.
Batch 92 also survived a two point penalty but had enough to overtake three day leader Surigao II. Batch 92 had a closing round of 66 less two for 262, three up on Surigao which managed only 60 points.
PhilCan Toronto, on the hand, stayed Macquarie Links of Sydney despite shooting 49 and 234 total for a two point edge on the players from Down Under who rallied with 54 but was not enough.
AIDRIC CHAN scored a three under for 39 to help lead Manila Southwoods to 149 points as the Carmona, Cavite team increased their lead to 42 points to virtually clinch the Fil Championship crown even with a round to go. The Am Championship, on the other hand, is 51 points up and also the virtual champions.** Fil-Am Media
