Alta Vista nears SL Tour crown

MANILA, Philippines - AltaVista Golf and Country Club of Cebu failed to win a division but played consistently well in Friday’s penultimate leg to storm ahead by 11 points and close in on a record-tying fourth overall championship in the Sta. Lucia Golf Tour.

The Cebuanos managed two runner-up finishes through Kim Kwang-seok-Peter Aznar (Group 2) and Enrico Solon-Al Dayot (Group 1), a third place by Lorenzo Alaan-Roy Damole (seniors) and a fourth place trophy (Rene Piano-Edwin Go Lim in Group 3) in the Summit Point leg in Lipa for 42 points and 127 overall.

Eagle Ridge gained only a point from the Cebuanos but took over the second spot from Rancho Palos Verdes with 43 points and 116 overall. Palos Verdes made 33 and slid to third at 115.

Lakewood and Royale Tagaytay stole the show by winning Group IV and Group II.

Peregrin de Guzman and substitute Amor Tanjuakio took the seniors title for Lakewood with 97 points while Oscar Desipeda-Manuel Calimba Jr. gave Royale Tagaytay its first win in the series by topping Group 2 with 85 points.

Eagle Ridge and Palos Verdes now need a big splurge in the final stop to prevent Alta Vista from tying its record of four overall titles.

Ronald Galicia-Edgardo Gilles led a 1-2 finish for Palos Verdes in Group 1 but didn’t get enough support from their teammates to reduce the lead.

Arnold Galicia and Victorio Eusebio (105 points) took the Group 3 plum for Eage Ridge, denying the bid of Joseph Arcaira-Romeo Asis to give Orchard its first division title.

Two hundred players from nine clubs developed and operated by real estate giant Sta. Lucia Realty are competing in the series also sponsored by Hyundai, Autohub, Wilson, LG Electronics and Philippine Airlines. Marriott-Cebu, Marco Polo Hotel-Davao and Bellevue Manila are the official hotels.

Individual winners were Enrico Solon of Alta Vista in the championship class, Marlon Villanueva of Eagle in Class A, Mario Pradil of Royale Tagaytay Class B, Victorio Eusebio of Eagle Class C, Romeo Asis of Orchard Class D and De Guzman in the seniors division.