Abdons shine in Southwoods Invitational

MANILA, Philippines -- Ryan and John Kier Abdon flourished with 88 points at the Masters course to claim the overall gross championship by a commanding five-point margin, while Manuel Siycha and Kenrick Samson matched that dominant victory, securing the net honors in the Southwoods Invitational held in Carmona, Cavite, over the weekend.

But Bobby Iñigo and Aldrich del Rosario emerged as the biggest winners, each driving home brand-new cars –  a Mitsubishi XForce GLS and a 2025 Toyota Raize 1.2 M/T, respectively – after clinching the grand prizes in the highly anticipated raffle draw.

Other lucky winners included John Cope, who won an Alaska cruise; Juan Paolo Caboboy, who took home an MF Electric Golf Cart; Noe Wong, who bagged a Ogawa massage chair; and Abigail Lapid, who secured a three-night stay at Hamp Court Palace in Taiwan.

The Abdons’ sterling show under the Best Ball format more than made up for their 69 points in Aggregate play at Legends, netting them a 157 total in the 36-hole tournament spread over four days in the host club’s premier member-guest tournament which drew a record 400 teams, totaling 800 players.

Manfred Guangko and Ronnie Littaua pooled 152 Stableford points, including 78 at Legends and 74 at Masters to finish second in the gross division, while Marvin Caparros and Benjie Sumulong placed third with 69 (Legends) and 82 (Masters) for a 151.

Siycha and Samson also banked on their superb team-up in Best Ball, producing 96 points on their way to a winning 177 total, including 81 points at Legends, for the net title in the event backed by Platinum sponsors CSL Construction and Pro-Envirotek Inc., and supported by Rep. Roy Loyola, Carmona Mayor Dahlia Loyola, CWC International Corp., Leads Agri/Malveda Properties, Newport World Resorts, Petron Corp., Smartscore, and The Turf Company as Gold sponsors.

Romeo Chong and Ralph Chong came in second in net play, pooling a 172 (82-90), while Lapid and Sarah Cruz combined for a 168 (76-92), nipping three other teams for third place honors via tiebreak.

Guangko and Littaua took the Division I trophy with a 160 from a pair of 80s, foiling the Rusty Bayani-Gary Sales (159), while Abigail Lapid and Sarah Cruz rode on a clutch 76-point output at Legends to clinch a two-point victory over Ian Arceo and Michael Ong in Division II.

Aurelio Gomez and Reynaldo Martinez also pulled off a two-point win in Division III, combining for a 168 (78-90) and nipping Jeffrey Co and Mark Gruba, who scored a 166 (74-92), while Romeo Chong and Ralph Chong stamped their class in Division IV, pooling a 172 (82-90), for a seven-point romp over Felix Chua and Dennis de Guzman, who scored a 165 (69-96).

In a fierce battle for Division V title, Steve Tycangco and Emir Tubayan pulled through over Juanco Las and Roland Lallana after the tiebreak. The two pairs posted identical scores of 72 at Legends and 96 at Masters for 168s. But Tycangco and Tubayan wound up with superior tiebreak score to clinch the crown.

In the Sponsors/Guests division, Raymung Quinto and Pierre Ticzon ran away with the crown with a 150 (70-80) for an 11-point romp over Dennis Gonzales and JM Andaya, who scored a 139 (57-82).

The Silver sponsors were Abomar Equipment Sales Corp., Agrexplore Corp., Coca-Cola Bottlers, Phils. Inc., Federal Land NRE Global Inc., Herb-All Organic Trading Corp., Le Chef Inc. and Cabuyao Mayor Dennis Hain, while the Bronze sponsors were Aqua Terra Integrated Solutions, Inc., Arcridge Construction, Ares Merchants Phils., Asia Global Materials Handling, Automobile Association of the Phils., Inc., AVC Chemical Corp., Ayala Land Premier, Baali Marketing & Agrocrops Co., Bird Steel Farm, Boeing Materials Handling Corp., Camaya Coast, CDO Foodshare Inc., Castillo, Laman, Tan, Pantaleon & San Jose Law Offices, Rep. Dino Tanjuatco, Dadjniel Turf Inc., Escala Tagaytay, Filhome Builders, Filinvest Alabang, First Orient Dev’t. & Construction Corp., Forest Hills Golf and Country Club, G&W Clubshares Inc., GG&A Clubshares, Golforce, Golfx; GUR Lavi Corp. (Telavi), Hyrdotech Irrigation and General Services, Januarius Golf, JEA Steel Industries Inc., JCOR Power Technology Supply and Services Inc., LJ Industrial Fabrication, Inc., Laurea and Lia Duque, MIT Air Inc., MRT Dev’t. Corp., Ortigas Land, People’s General Insurance Corp./FORE Carama Cargo Solution Inc., Prestige Golf Access & Clubshares Inc. (PGA Clubshares), RFM Corp., Robin Jeon, Newington Builders Inc., Shangri-La Boracay/White House Resorts, Sherwood Hills Golf Club, Smart Probe, Time Cargo Logistics Corp., Transview Phils./Callaway and Vice Gov. Faustino Dy.