Ateneo trips La Salle in golf showdown

For the fifth straight time, Ateneo got the better of La Salle on the fairways and greens as the Blue Eagles bagged the overall title of the 5th La Salle-Ateneo Golf Tournament at the Cebu Country Club yesterday.

Ateneo scored a total of 20 points against the 12 of La Salle, which again played very gracious host for the third time in the five years. Ateneo will host the event next year.

La Salle's Lora Roberto of the Philippine national women's team bagged the lowest gross title for the 29 years old and under class shooting an eagle-aided gross score of five-under-par 67strokes. She also scattered four birdies and had a solitary bogey, which was the sole blemish on her scorecard.

Runner-up honors went to Ateneo's Lovelyn Guioguio with three-under-par 69 strokes.

Ateneo's Jovi Neri bagged the lowest net honors for the age group with 67 strokes while runner-up honors went to Marc Gonzalez of La Salle who shot 70 strokes.

The tournament used the System-36 format, but players can only win one award for his or her team. The winner for the lowest gross or lowest net of the class earns two points for his school while the runner-up earns one point.

Players will be given the award that would allow him or her to give the maximum points for the school.

In the 30 to 39 class, La Salle's Nino Bascon bagged the lowest gross with 77 strokes. Runner-up honors went to Michael Dino also of La Salle with 80.

The lowest net honors went to Ateneo's Toby Florendo with 69 strokes while his teammate Wilky Lim scored 70 strokes and edged his brother Michael in the tie break to take the runner-up honors.

Ateneo bagged both awards for the gross score in the 40 to 49 years old division as Ramon Chu shot 76 and Deo Gabasa had 83.

La Salle's Rey Dira scored 71 strokes to win the lowest net plum while Henry Chu of Ateneo, who also had a 71 and lost in the tie break, settled for the runner-up honors.

In the 50 years and above class, Ateneo's Efren Sarmiento scored a gross 81 to win top honors while the runner-up was La Salle's Vince Revilla with 86.

Ateneo's Bugs Unchuan had the lowest net with 71 strokes while runner-up honors went to La Salle's Andrew Co with 72 strokes.

Matchpaly Event

An innovation of the tournament, which was introduced this year, was the matchplay where each team fielded a select set of players.

Ateneo tripped La Salle in six of eight matches while La Salle Alumni Association President Dondi Joseph led his team with a sound drubbing of his Ateneo counterpart John Cheu.

Ateneo's alternate shot team of Julius Neri, Sr. and Reny Sarmiento topped Rey Dira and Jun Zosa.

The Atenean duo of Efren and Pico Sarmiento also edged La Salle's Steve Paradies and Frederic Chiongbian in the scramble event.

The high-low team of Poch Lamug and Deo Gabasa of Ateneo also won over La Salle's Bruce Chiongbian and Andrew Co.

The wins of Ateneo in singles came from Ramon Chu, who beat Marc Gonzalez; Jovi Neri, who topped Lora Roberto; and Lovelyn Guioguio who beat Kim Hong.

The other win of La Salle came courtesy of the best ball tandem of Nino Basco and Tricia Maclang over Ateneo's Toby Florendo and Arlo Sarmiento.