CCC edges closer to epic win

MANILA, Philippines — Founders division campaigner Cebu Country Club bucked the tight Mactan Island Golf course and fended off its rivals’ charge in the Championship side with a 131, moving 18 holes closer to  becoming only the second team to win the overall crown in the PAL Men’s Interclub in Cebu City yesterday.

Bayani Garcia fired 36 points, equivalent to even par 72 in stroke play, while Marc Gonzales and Jon Alvarez shot 35 and 33, respectively, and either of the 27s by Eric Deen and Martin Mendoza counted for the hosts’ 131 total for a three-day aggregate of 376.

After seizing a two-point lead over Del Monte Thursday, Cebu CC padded its lead to four, this time over five-peat seeking Manila Southwoods heading to the final round of the 72nd staging of the annual event at its home.

Cebu CC is seeking to duplicate Aguinaldo’s feat in 1988 after the latter upstaged Canlubang for the overall plum, also in Cebu.

Southwoods matched Cebu CC’s 131 for a 372 as it took the lead in Championship play with Sean Ramos carding a 36, Masaichi Otake posting a 33, and Aidric Chan and Jae Hyung-jhun chipping in 32 and 30 points, respectively. Jun Jun Plana’s 28 didn’t count for the Carmona-based squad seeking to duplicate Canlubang’s five-peat in the 1990s.