DAVAO, Philippines – Del Monte and Cebu Country Club ended up even in an expected opening day shootout in the PAL Men’s Interclub here yesterday. But a team of junior golfers coming off a romp in the Founders Division last year shot itself to the top of the Championship field decimated by a last-minute re-classification of three teams previously tipped as title contenders.
With its 16-year-old top guns coming out firing, Alabang Country Club assembled 124 points at Rancho Palos Verdes, surprising and sneaking past the defending champion and last year’s runner-up to claim the first day honors in the centerpiece event that saw Negros, Forest Hills and Wack Wack revert to Founders class.
“I hope our lineup is strong enough to maintain the lead. These junior golfers are really playing good,” said Alabang non-playing team captain Arnel Paras, whose roster includes seven players aged 15-17.
Santiago Lorenzo, 16, spearheaded Alabang’s attack at the up-and-down layout with 33 points, while Miguel Shah, also 16, Andres Saldana, 17, and 15-year-old Basti Lorenzo backed him up with 32, 31 and 28 points, respectively.
That 124 aggregate gave Alabang a one-point lead over Del Monte and Cebu Country Club – a lead too shaky in a tournament of this magnitude but too stirring for a team oozing with confidence and exuberance of the youth.
“The key was teamwork and a good lineup,” said Paras, whose squad gained promotion to the Championship Division after tapping veteran jungolf internationalist AR Ramos, Santiago Lorenzo and Justine Quilban, also 16.
JB Garcia, 35, had a 27 and didn’t count for Alabang, which also saw action in the Championship Division two years ago but was re-classified to the Founders class last year which it dominated, winning by 13 points over Riviera in Cagayan de Oro.
Late Tuesday, Negros, Forest Hills and Wack Wack made an appeal to be re-classified from Championship Division to the Founders class, citing their lower team average PPA (PAL Point Averages). Negros has 56.6, Forest Hills 56.25 and Wack Wack 55.78 PPAs as compared to Del Monte’s 61.44 and Cebu Country Club’s 59.67.
The PPA is the tabulation of the past performances of all players over the last five Interclubs. The PAL Interclub tournament committee, headed by tournament director Buddy Resurreccion, granted the three team’s request, saying that such action is good for the tournament.
Meanwhile, Alabang (56.88), Manila Southwoods (55.43) and six others have lower PPAs but were retained in the Championship division after adding players to their respective rosters after the Team Captains’ meeting last October.
While Ramos is expected to suit up in today’s second round at the heavily wooded Apo layout, Paras opted to keep mum on the composition of team, saying: “We are still strategizing the lineup for the next three days. But we hope and pray that all our players will deliver.”
Del Monte, which frustrated Canlubang to win its second Interclub crown at home last year, pooled a 123, the same output put in by Cebu, as the two clubs geared up for a three-way battle after Alabang underscored its readiness to go for a first-ever Championship crown with a remarkable start.
“I knew they were the dark horse (Alabang),” said Del Monte playing team captain Yoyong Velez. “Some of our players didn’t score well. But we’re only one down with three days to go. We have a well-balanced team so we’re still OK.”
Pro-bound Banny Abaño, who topped last week’s Qualifying School, Leonardo Lofranco and Julius Bautista each had 31 points while Velez added 30 and JJ Gamolo didn’t count with a 22 in the five-to-play, four-to-count format event long considered as the unofficial national team championship sponsored by Philippine Airlines.
Geli Nagai turned in the day’s best score of 34 points to show the way for Cebu, which also drew a 32 from Bayani Garcia, a 29 from Carl Almario and a 28 from Joven Neri with the other 28 from Marko Sarmiento stricken off the list.
Manila Southwoods, a two-time Interclub winner, groped for form with a 103 as Charlie Chang could do no better than a 29 and Jun Jun Plana, Joseph Tambunting and Vince Lauron chipped in 26, 25 and 23, respectively.
Wack Wack and Orchard took the Founders Division lead with 117s, nine points ahead of Riviera, which had a 108, while Apo Golf Club had a 107 followed by Negros and Forest Hills, which had 106s.
Tommy Manotoc, who led Canlubang’s final day rally to win the seniors crown last week, and Tootsie de Jesus shot identical 31 points to lead Wack Wack while Elphege Wong and Kit Lopez scored 28 and 27 points, respectively.
King Stehmeier shot 31 points for Orchard, which also got 30 from Phil Cho, a 29 from Wolen Superal and a 27 from Ace Stehmeier.
Negros drew 28 points from Jae Yang, while Chepe Dulay, Francis Gaston and Max Javelona tossed in 27, 26 and 25 points, respectively. Forest Hills, on the other hand, got 32 points from Iñigo Raymundo and a pair of 27s from Edgar Lee and Ronnie Littaua while Park Sang Ho made a 20.
NOTES: The Platinum sponsors of the 65th PAL Interclub are Mareco Broadcasting Network, Radio High, Stargate Media, Media Five and GE while the major backers are Asia Brewery, Business Mirror and Airbus.
Other backers of the annual event, the biggest amateur team championship, are the Department of Tourism, Philippine Graphics, Boeing International Corp., Bombo Radyo, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Manila Bulletin, Moevenpick Resort and Spa Cebu, Plantation Bay, Radisson Blu Hotel and Imperial Palace Waterpark and Spa Cebu.