Thais cruise to victory; Carlos, Unson take individual titles

LIPA CITY, Batangas, Philippines  – The Philippines settled for second despite Jobim Carlos’s three-under 69 as Miguel Tabuena and Clyde Mondilla wavered with over-par rounds, enabling Thailand to cruise to a nine-stroke romp in The Montecillo Junior Golf Team Championships here yesterday.

Sompard Rattanasuwan shot a 70, Rattanon Wanasrichan carded a 71 while Poon Saksansin, matched par 72 at Mt. Malarayat as the Thais, who seized control in the third round, closed out with a three-under 213 and an 870.

That was nine shots clear of the hosts, who led in the first two days but cracked up in the face of the Thais’ big surge Thursday. Carlos bounced back from a third round 74 with a 69 but Tabuena and Mondilla failed to recover and made 74 and 76, respectively.

That 219 total gave Phl Team 1 an 879 aggregate for runner-up honors in the four-day tournament held in honor of Amalia “Mommy” Montecillo, prime mover of jungolf movement in Asia and which drew the top junior teams in the region.

Carlos took the individual crown with a 282 total, beating Wannasrichan (289) and Saksanin (292).

“I’m happy I won the individual title but I would have loved the team to win,” said Carlos. “My teammates gave it their best but the Thais were really steady.”

While Carlos regained his form, Tabuena and Clyde Mondilla faltered at the backside, paving the way for the Thais’ runaway win.

The Phl girls teams, meanwhile, accomplished what their boys counterparts failed to do, sweeping their own side of the tournament organized by the Junior Golf Foundation of the Phils. and sanctioned by Royal and Ancient in St. Andrews, Scotland.

Reigning national champion Irene Gabasa rebounded from a pair of so-so rounds with a one-over par 73 while Andie Unson and Sarah Ababa each had a 74 as Phl 1 made a 147 for a 54-hole haul of 445, nine ahead of Phl 2, which made a 454 after a 149.

Unson’s also won the individual title with 222, edging Ababa by two and five ahead of Daniella Uy and Princess Superal of Phl 2, who wound up with 227 apiece.

“I’m just so happy that we won it,” said the 16-year-old Unson, ICTSI golf squad mainstay who also won the low amateur honors in The Country Club Invitational recently.

“I wasn’t playing my best though at the start because of the pressure but I recovered my composure and hit those two birdies on the 16th and 17th,” Unson, a PSA awardee for junior golf, said.

Uy had a 74 while Superal scored a 75 as Phl 2 placed second with a 454 for that 1-2 finish by the girls squads.

Singapore finished third with a 927 as Joshua Ho made a 78, Melvin Chew a 79 and Thomas Tan an 82 while Phl 2 got a 76 from JP de Claro, an 82 from Rupert Zaragosa and an 84 from Jonar Austria to finish fourth at 936.

Chinese Taipei, which had 73, 77 and 79 from Liu Len Hung, Huang Shu Ya and Lin Ding Sheng, respectively, and Guam, which drew 77, 77 and 86 from Ryan Christensen, Nathan Zhao and Sean Hua, respectively, finished fifth and sixth places, respectively.

In girls’ play, Chinese Taipei was fourth with 483 from Lin Yu Yu’s 78 and Lee Chai Pai’s 82 while Singapore ended up fifth with 495 courtesy of Phoebe Tan’s 82 and Joey Poh’s 87.

The event was sponsored by the International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI), Pancake House, Sizzlin Pepper, Teriyaki Boy, Chevrolet, Philippine Airlines, Friends of Jungolf, Golf Depot, San Miguel Corp., Coca- Cola Bottlers, Duty Free, PacSports, MJ Carr Golf Management, Pisanti Golf, livescoreph.com and McDonald’s.

, Julie’s Bakeshop and Ishields. Inquirer Golf and A Round of Golf are media partners.