Chiongbian, Garcia rule Tomodachi golf tourney

CEBU, Philippines -  Golf chairman Frederic Chiongbian and club president Ramontito Garcia are two of the hardest working members of the board of directors of Cebu Country Club and last weekend, they proved to be also among the best players of the club when they took home the top individual awards of the Tomodachi Invitational Tournament.

Chiongbian bagged the lowest net plum of the tournament firing 12-under-par 60 strokes off a gross one-under-par 71.

Garcia, a multi-winner of the club championship, bagged the lowest gross honors by also firing 71 strokes in the event, which was rescheduled to last weekend.  Garcia won the award after beating Chiongbian, Jojo Tiongko, and Gabriel Yap, Jr. in the tie breaker.  For this event, ties a broken based on the age of the players.  The more senior will prevail.

The tournament was originally set last November 9 and 10, but due to super typhoon Yolanda, which pummeled Visayas, the organizers had to postpone the event.

The tournament is an annual event initiated by the Japanese group of Cebu Country Club as their way of celebrating friendship with the Filipinos.

Chiongbian made it a double last weekend as he also led his team to the title in Division A of this four-to-play, three-to-count format.  Each team must have at least one Japanese player.

Chiongbian’s net 60 combined with the net 70s of Carl Almario and Kizuku Hirose gave their team a total of 200 strokes.  The fourth member of the squad was Jonji Chiongbian, Frederic’s cousin.

First runner-up was the team of Peter Tyler Po (67), Jovi Neri (68), Shotaru Suda (68), and Evans Tumaliwan (71) with a total of 203 strokes.

Second runner-up was the team of Byeon Kwang Wook (65), club general manager Jeric Hechanova (69), Boboy Durano (72), and Yoshio Yamada (73) with a total of 206 strokes.  They beat two teams to the award by virtue of age.

The Division B crown went to the team of Toshiaki Torikai (64), Gabriel Yap Jr. (65), Sidney Po (72), and Emmanuel Ong (74) with a total of 201 strokes.

First runner-up for the second handicap category was the team of Ramon Villordon (65), Jack Jamero (66), Alvin Tan Unjo (72), and Tomio Sakurai (76) with 203 strokes.

Second runner-up was the team of Oly Dychangco (65), Alex Choachuy (69), Arturo Go (71), and Joji Tatara (71) with a total of 205 strokes.

The Division C title was won by the team of Joy Anthony Ong (67), Ray benson Wee (67), Charles Ong (69), and Yoichi Masuda (72) with a total of 203 strokes.

The team composed of Lesmes Garate (66), Noburo Takahashi (68), Gerard Co (72), and Peter Po Sr. (80) with a total of 206 strokes finished as first runner-up.

Taking second runner-up honors was the team of Vic Cajita (64), Alvin Tan Unjo (72), Toshimitsu Honda (72), and John Quisumbing with 208 strokes.

The ladies division title went to Ryoko Nagai with a net score of 72 strokes off a gross 86 while runner-up honors went to Lalay Lava with 73 strokes.

Special prizes went to Daniel Ong for the most accurate drive on hole No. 16 on the first day landing his ball two inches from the line.  The award for the next day went to Jerry Ong Uy who was one inch from the line. (PR from fullpointcebu.com) (FREEMAN)