An ace, attangiga!

Attangiga!

If you’re familiar with the term them you must play golf in Cebu. 

This expression that we use to describe a great game or a great shot in golf was one of the first few words I uttered yesterday morning.

When my phone rang at 6:30 a.m. and I heard the ring tone that identified the caller as one of those from my golf group, I had a feeling there was a bit of good news to start the day with.

I wasn’t wrong.

The call came from Wellington ‘Willy’ Lim, who always dutifully reports to me the achievements of friends and other fellow golfers most especially when they achieve such in the early morning.

When I answered the phone, I immediately popped the question if somebody scored a hole-in-one. Willy said I was right and asked me to listen to the background sound if I’d have an idea who it was.

It was simple, Ramon Sebastian’s voice was booming on the background and I knew my Big Brother made his first ace.

That was his first in 15 years of playing golf, Attangiga!

The ace on the 135-yard hole number 5 of Cebu Country Club was made using a XU XX10 8-iron and a Wilson Staff # 2ball. Willy’s call came seconds after the ace was made and that was how hot the news was when it reached me.

Ramon was in the company of husband and wife Hernan and Flor Streegan, Junnie Cimafranca, our Ahia Tony Tankaw, and Willy.

It was drizzling yesterday morning when the ace was made and the tee shot of Ramon landed about six feet to the left of the hole, which was somewhere on the front side of the green.

“It kicked left, bounced once and rolled in,” Ramon told me. He added, “Willy must be my lucky charm, because before the round he asked to join us and I said yes.”

This calls for a celebration!

* * *

I popped the question in this column yesterday about one’s dream round of golf.

Before heading to the office yesterday afternoon, I had coffee with my cousin and grade-6 classmate Rolando Acas, who just got bitten by the golf bug and now is actively supporting the better player in his family, his son Ace, who at 11 years old hits father than his dad.

A dream round for him, Lando said, would be with Annika Sorenstam, Lorena Ochoa and Michelle Wie.

“I’ll intimidate them,” he told me. “I’ll an all-pink outfit including tights and let’s see if they can still hit their shots straight.” Hehehe

Now I know where my nephew got his genes that helped him become a good player, it’s from Helen, Lando’s wife.

Who would you want to be in your dream round? But please spare me the description of what you plan to wear.

* * *

MILESTONES: Happy birthday to my high school volleyball teammate Richar Villaceran, who turns a year older today.

The same goes to photographer Arlene Chua, who is also celebrating today in the cruise ship where she is now working.

Belated greetings to my cousin and former The Freeman sportswriter Wella Llanos and advanced greetings to my college professor Flordeliz L. Abanto, who turns a year older tomorrow.

More power to all of you!