San Miguel-Northern Cement edges Pugo in wild finish

BAGUIO, Philippines – San Miguel-Northern Cement wavered but snared the hotly disputed Seniors Fil-Championship crown over Pugo Adventure in a countback down to the fifth man at the close of the 66th Fil-Am Golf Invitational seniors play at Camp John Hay here yesterday.

Eddie Bagtas slowed down with a 33 after an impressive 37 Wednesday, while Tommy Manotoc, Chito Laureta and Lino Magpantay added 31 points each as San Miguel closed out with a 126 after a 137 for a 458 total. Rudy Amata failed to count with a 24.

Pugo Adventure matched that four-day output with a 128 as Fred Puckett fired 36 points and Douglas Puckett, Goodie Ignacio and Ed Montenegro backed him up with 34, 33 and 25, respectively. Its fifth man Rommel Gomez claimed to have shot a 24, which still wouldn’t count but would’ve clinched it for the team in the countback – through the score of the fifth player.

But it turned out Gomez only scored a 20, giving San Miguel the win through Amata’s 24.

“We’re the champs,“ said Amata, who earlier looked dejected after seeming to have lost it in the countback.

Pugo appeared to be on its way to scoring a repeat of last year’s come-from-behind win when it battled back from four points down in the final round to beat 2013 champion Megafiber.

The Pucketts, Ignacio and Montenegro were already celebrating after catching up with San Miguel while Manotoc was blaming himself for a disastrous pick-up on No. 17.  

Second day leader Manila Southwoods pooled a 125 and finished third with a 464 with top player Edmund Yee snatching the Group I individual title from Bagtas, who had a 127, with a closing 35 for a 128.

Megafiber ended up fourth at 449 after a 122 while host John Hay struggled with a 110 for fifth at 435.

Meanwhile, Nueva Ecija Seniors carded a 97 for a 435 and ran away with a 25-point romp in the Am-Championship.

Veterans Golf tallied 93 for a 410 for second while B&Y Utopia assembled a 407 after a 92 for third.

Francisco Sumulong and Amado Angeles scored identical 30s as Project LASaRUS fired 99 points for a 372 and posted a one-point win over BCC in Seniors Fil-A.

BCC tallied 100 points for a 371 while Camp Aguinaldo made a 101 for third at 365.