A friend is gone

BAGUIO CITY — The yellowish screen of the Nokia faded. The text dimmed. Suddenly there’s a rush of unimagined grief. A friend is gone. And what cut deeper into the guts was the plain, muted cry of the daughter in the text . . . "I lost my dad. Pls pray 4 his soul."

Mi apologia. This has nothing to do with the Fil-Am coverage but there are times when one has to give way to a personal loss.

His name was Jonathan "Joxy" Naron, 51, a brother-in-law in Legaspi. He perished in the surge of flash floods late Wednesday night near their home at the Isarog Pulp compound. They found his body two days later after a massive search led by Gov. Alfrancis Bichara, PDCC and the navy.

He was a loving husband to wife Mau and doting father to his four kids. A great friend, a life-of-the-party. And a great cook. In fact, he would literally dish out this talent in family gatherings and I’m sure he would love to be remembered as such. Goodbye, Jox. Goodbye, friend.

(His remains lie in state at the Cruzada Chapel. Interment will be announced later.)

* * *

The Fil-Am is suffering from a bad case of split personality and it’s beginning to show in the current meet. It is trying to be a top-notch amateur team championship and, at the same time, a fun tournament for the lesser souls. There are three disqualifications in the higher division and some brushes with the rules on the lower group.

It’s bound to happen when you have 690 players in a curious mix of top amateurs and hackers on a weeklong R and R seeing action.

This coupled with other elements like incessant rains and shorter daylight on compact courses — the Baguio Country Club and Camp John Hay — tend to bring havoc to the entire proceedings.

Thursday, there were five flights stranded on John Hay on account of darkness and the demands of championship condition like fast greens and treacherous pin placements that induced slow play.

Controversies are also bound to happen and the camaraderie and fellowship which are the very anchor of this 52-year old tournament are beginning to wear thin and animosities cropping up in the leading camps.

Organizers may want to look into the idea of holding the Fil-Am in a two-week period. The Am division will be held in the first week and the Fil category, the crème dela crème, in the second week. The two meets will have separate award rites like the senior and regular events of the PAL Interclub. This way, you unclog the entire tournament cast and maintain competitiveness throughout.