Mactan looms as S'writers champ

CEBU, Philippines - Mactan Island Golf Club looks headed for a big finish in the third-ranked Sportswriters division in the Philippine Airlines Seniors Interclub as it padded its lead to 18 points entering today’s final round of the tournament in Davao.

Mactan has a three-day total of 393 points after shooting 136 yesterday at the Rancho Palos Verdes. Felix Villanueva was piping hot yesterday shooting six-over-par 48 points in the Molave System to lead Mactan.

Also counting for the team total in the four-to-play, three-to-count format were Boy Alegre with 45 and Yoshio Yamane with 43. The 37 of Pedrito Buenavista did not count.

A far second is co-host Apo with 375 points followed by Riviera with 363 points.

Retired General Rodante Joya, skipper of the Mactan team, said that this looms to be their best finish in the tournament for players aged 55 years old and above. Joya will be playing today at Apo alongside Pete Cantillas, Vidal Hebe, and Razy Razon.

In the Founders division, Cebu Country Club with a total of 371 slipped to fourth place behind Valley Golf with 384, Orchard 377 and John Hay 374.

The Cebuanos scored 117 points yesterday courtesy of David Lu with 42 points, Clifford Celdran 39 and Lor Alaan with 36. The 35 of Masatsugu Ochiai did not count.

The team is fielding Victor Yuvallos, Koichi Horii, Anton Florendo and Masaya Hishida today at Palos Verdes.

Alta Vista Golf and Country club, which is competing in the Sportswriters division continued to struggle and scored 106 points again yesterday. Bobby Barria made 45, Lino Dagus had 32 and Roy Damole was last to count with 29. Vince Colina made 27, which did not count.

In the premiere Championship division, Luisita and Canlubang are off to a showdown in today’s final round.

Canlubang fired 153 points yesterday to dislodge Luisita from the top of the leaderboard with their total of 435.

Dave Hernandez, Jose Mari Hechanova and Tony Olives each turned in 51 points for their 153-point output yesterday.

 Lusita made 148 courtesy of Francis Gaston 50, Richie Garcia 50 and Bong de Guzman 46.

Luisita heads to the Apo Golf and Country Club today, a point behind Canlubang, which is going for a fourth straight title.

Taking the spotlight away from the battle of the big guns was Negros Occidental Golf and Country Club’s Rene Silos, who scored the event’s first hole-in-one.

Silos, 56, aced Apo’s par three 147-yard fourth hole using a Callaway Fusion eight iron and a Noodle No. 1 ball. It was his first in 30 years.

 He was playing with Villamor’s Roberto Sabularse, Manila Southwoods’ Mar Naval and Ed Gador of Aguinaldo.

And for his effort, Silos was amply rewarded with a motorcycle from Honda Megamotors Corp. and a business class ticket to the US from PAL.

ABS-CBN Cable Channels & Print Media Group, Airbus, Boeing, Business Mirror, Mizuno, MTV Philippines, Radio Mindanao Network and Solar Sports are the platinum sponsors.

 Action Asia, Bombo Radyo, Crossover 105.1, People Asia, Royal Caribbean and XFM 92.3 are the major sponsors with PAGCOR, Rajah Broadcasting Network and Century Park Hotel are the other supporters.

Honda Cars Davao and Honda Megamotors Corp. are the hole-in-one sponsors. – THE FREEMAN