Mabuhay Miles titles to Solon, Magpantay

MANILA, Philippines - Vince Solon outduelled Lino Magpantay at the backside to emerge the low-gross champion in the Mabuhay Miles Elite Invitational at the Manila Southwoods Golf and Country Club in Carmona, Cavite recently.

Solon, a California-based Mabuhay Miles “Million Miler,” fired three birdies and made 13 pars for a gross 71, one under par on the tough Nicklaus-designed Masters course that has hosted four Philippine Open.

It was the lowest gross round scored in the tournament since 1999 with Solon emerging from a Class C player with 19-25 handicap into a single handicapper with 2.

The two-stroke buffer nearly won for Solon this year’s overall net title as well, but his 69 proved a stroke short of Magpantay’s net score of 68 from a gross 78.

Magpantay, a veteran campaigner in the Philippine Airlines Interclub, settled for overall net honors. He actually made a tournament high four birdies alongside seven pars against four bogeys.

A total of 270 participants – all Elite and Premier Elite members of PAL’s Mabuhay Miles program – saw action in the event sponsored by Airbus, Allied Bank, Boeing, GE Capital Aviation Services, GE Aviation, MasterCard International Philippines Inc., Mizuno and Sabre Airline Solutions.

Allan Jason hit three birdies and made nine pars for 69 then nipped last year’s low gross champion Louis Bartolome Borja and Gene Arthur Go in the countback to bag the Class A crown.

Other backers of the tournament were Abacus International, DG Biocare Group Australia, Diamond Hotel, Manny O Wines, Panasonic Avionics Corp. and Petron Corp.

Robert Umali shot a gross 84 for a net 69 and won the Class B crown. Franco Ibo and Dexter Pasion carded identical net 71s with the former edging the latter in the countback for runner-up honors.

Timoteo Pacleb fired a net 70 at the Legends Course and beat Randy Ang and David Carl Ritchie by a stroke for the Class C plum, while Candelario Amigable also carded a net 71 to beat Roberto Uy and David Huang, who had net rounds of 73 and 74, respectively, for the Class D diadem.

Zamboanga’s Lanie Verar scored an impressive 72 from a gross 90 to recapture the ladies crown she won in 2007 while Danny Gutierrez took the guest division title with a net 69.

Century Bangus, Citibank, Pacific Paints (Boysen) Philippines, Union Bank and Victorinox/World Traveller and Yahoo! Philippines were the minor sponsors.

Toyota Motor Philippines was the hole-in-one sponsor while Century Park Hotel was the official hotel of the tournament.

Other supporters were Alegre Beach Resort & Spa, Banco de Oro, Crimson Resort & Spa Mactan, EDSA Shangri-La, Esprit/British India, Hilton Cebu Resort & Spa, Intercontinental Manila, Lufthansa Technik Philippines, Makati Shangri-La Hotel, Mandarin Oriental Manila, Maribago Bluewater Beach Resort, Manila Marriott Hotel, Microtel Inns & Suites (Pilipinas) Inc., Pan Pacific Manila, Quantium Solutions, Regency Lagoon Beach Resort, Shangri-La’s Boracay Resort & Spa, Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila, Tanduay, and Traders Hotel Manila.