Archers rip Eagles in fourball

TRECE MARTIREZ — The Green Archers stamped their class in fourball matches, winning four of six matches Saturday to prevent the Blue Eagles from pulling away in the Fil Estate Land Inc. (FELI) La Salle-Ateneo Match Play golf championship at the Sherwood Hills Golf and Country Club here.

With six matches still going on at presstime, the Eagles nursed a slim 9.5-8.5 lead over the defending champions.

Smarting from a disastrous performance in the foursomes Friday, the Archers showed nerves of steel in winning two matches on the 18th hole.

Teenagers Miko Yee and Chucky Hong stunned veterans Junjun Plana and Jose Mari Hechanova, 1-up, to draw first blood for the Archers.

Another match was settled on the final hole when Miko Alejandro and Anya Tanpinco edged Jeric Hechanova and Marcel Puyat, 1-up.

La Salle’s other victories came via comfortable margins.

Ronnie Littaua and King Stehmeier shocked Anthony Fernando and Manoling Chan, 3 and 2, while Raffy Garcia and JP Reyes turned back Pepot Inigo and Eric Gozo.

The Eagles hung on to the lead by winning the final pairing, courtesy of Jingy Tuason and Venjo Reyes, who whipped Justin Limjap and Oliver Gan, 2-up.

The first match pitting La Salle’s Francis Gaston and Raymund Sangil against Ateneo’s Louie Dacudao and Jovi Neri ended in a tie.

The Eagles took a commanding 8-4 lead Friday when they dominated the foursomes late in the afternoon, winning five of six matches.

Dacudao and Neri combined beautifully to upend Tommy Manotoc and Charles Hong, 1-up.

The other four matches ended in lopsided fashion.

Mari Hechanova and Gozo crushed Hong and JP Reyes, 6 and 5; Marty Ilagan and Benjie Sarmiento made mincemeat of Garcia and Yee, 4 and 3; Inigo and Puyat toyed with Stehmeier and Louie Garcia, 4 and 3; and Venjo Reyes and Tuason demolished Marco Olives and Gan, 5 and 4.

The Eagles averted a whitewash when Plana and Bobby Ysip halved the match with Justin Limjap and Ronnie Littaua.

The three-day, Ryder Cup-style event, organized by Club Leisure Management and sponsored by FELI and Sherwood Hills, ends today with 18 singles matches on tap.