Tabanas edges Jaraula in 4-hole sudden death

Tristan Tabanas nipped Boboy Jaraula on the fourth extra hole of a sudden-death playoff for the championship division crown in the recent Samsung Amateur Tour at the Pueblo de Oro Golf and Country Club course in Cagayan de Oro.

Tabanas led by three after Round 1 with a 68 but Del Monte teammate Jaraula forged the playoff by scoring a 73 for similar 144 aggregates in the 36-hole event serving as the third stop of a nationwide circuit.

Last month’s Davao leg was also won by Marc Lopez via a playoff.

Picking up from where their more prominent siblings left off, Jolan Miñoza (men’s Class A) and his aunt Eva (ladies Class A) topped their respective divisions and join the Pueblo qualifiers for the national grand finals next year at Mt. Malarayat in Batangas.

Jolan, son of touring pro Raul who played in the Optimist International in Florida last month, posted a six-shot win with his rounds of 74-75 while Eva was unchallenged with her scores of 80-77.

Aurelio Ponce de Leon (men’s Class B), Edward Escovidal (men’s Class C) and Joy Lopez (ladies Class B) were the other division champions in the tourney co-sponsored by Mario’s Restaurant, Wilson, Gatorade, Tokyo Tokyo, Microtel, Custom Clubmakers and Dunlop Golf. Radio stations Killer Bee, Citylite 88.3, Wave 89.1, 99.5 RT and 103.5 K-Lite are the official media partners.

In the accompanying Samsung Putting Challenge, Mike Celdran and Noel Lopez were the men’s qualifiers, Eva Miñoza took the ladies slot, Bay Platon the senior berth and Joshua Lopez the junior ticket.

They all earned trips to the national finals together with Tabanas Archie Empamano, Ben Miñoza, Alberth Caholugan and Blondie Estacio who scored holes-in-one .

The next leg will be played at the Negros Occidental in Bacolod on September 27-28.

Prizes were awarded to the winners by Pueblo de Oro president Rudy Menes, Samsung’s Noel Dahao, Pueblo grounds chair Mike Celdran and Boy Blue Ocampo of the organizing Professional Sports Management Group.