19TH PAL Seniors Interclub: US-based teams lead

US-based teams led the way at the start of the 19th Philippine Airlines (PAL) Seniors Interclub in Davao City while the three Cebu teams that saw action yesterday were nowhere near the top in their divisions.

Over at the long and tricky Apo Golf and Country Club, Maharlika scored a total of 200 points to post a two-point lead in the third-ranked Sportswriters division while Mabuhay led the way for the Friendship division played in Lanang Country Club.

Action in the premiere Championship class and the second-ranked Founders category will start today yet.

Cebu Country Club and Alta Vista Golf and Country Club are seeing action in the Founders division.

Running second to Maharlika in the Sportswriters division is co-host Lanang, which fired a total of 198 points followed by Davao on third with 189. Team LA is at fourth with 187 and rounding up the top five are Davao teams Rancho Palos Verdes and co-host Apo Golf with 185 apiece.

The seniors' event uses the Molave Points System where a double-eagle is worth 7 points, an ace is 6, eagle 5, birdie 4, par 3, bogey 2, and double-bogey is 1. Players, who are playing for no more point must pick-up or else the team will be slapped a two-point deduction from their total score.

Each team can field a maximum of eight players per round, but only the five best scores for the round will count for the team total.

Mactan Coral is running 12th in the Sportswriters division scoring a total of 168 points. Those who contributed to the team yesterday were Hospicio Razon with 39, Alan Tuck 36, Romeo 'Boy' Alegre 34, Rodrigo Codoy 30, and Mario Bancale 29. The 28 of Pete Cantillas, 27 of Robert Balcos, and 24 of Antonio Elumir did not count for the team total.

Club Filipino is 21st in the field of 23 for the Sportswriters class. The team scored 140 points courtesy of Bugs Unchuan (33), Ed de Leon (33), Danilo Flores (28), Alfredo Franco (24), and Samuel Dunque (22). Those who did not count were Atonio Oppus (19), Atonio Tolosa (19), and Angel Ocubillo, Sr. (13).

In the Friendship category, Mabuhay is comfortably ahead with 195 points followed by Bay Area with 188. Alliance and PGA British Columbia are tied at 173 while Victorias of Negros is the only Philippine-based team in the top five with 171.

Mercedes Plantation Golf and Country Club of Medellin, Cebu is at 21st place out of 25 teams for this category with 138 points. Those who counted for the team were Renato Go (35), Rolly Villegas (32), Asterio Lagura (29), Atonio Teves (23), and Ronnie Kee (21). Those who did not count were Steve Saldua (19), Toto Ursal (15), and Rene Sabido (10).

The Cebu Country Club team is composed of Tony Jackson, Edgar Chiongbian, Katashi Nagata, Bebot Baldemor, Jimmy Sy, Masaya Hishida, and Masanao Kobayashi.

Alta Vista will have Sergio 'Boy' Gonzalez, Ben Yu, Felix Villanueva, Vicente Go, Bobby Barria, Aki Hirasawa, Rod Señido, and Ben Villamor.

This year's tournament has Action Asia, Airbus, Boeing, GE Aviation, GMA-7, Honda Cars Davao, INQ7.net, Joey 92.3, Royal Caribbean International, Philippine Gaming and Amusements Corp. (Pagcor), People Asia, Premier Wine and Spirits, Rudy project, and UMBN for major sponsors.

ABS-CBN International, Fortune Tobacco Corp. and Radio Mindanao Network are the corporate sponsors while 96.3 WRock, Asia Brewery, Century park Hotel, Honda Megamotors, SM City Davao, and Tanduay Rhum are the event's other backers.