CEBU—With a final day team that delivered as envisioned, Luisita on Saturday completed a come-from-behind victory in the Philippine Airlines Seniors Interclub after winning out in a tense battle in the closing holes at well-manicured Alta Vista to dethrone Canlubang.
Members of Luisita flash the No. 1 sign
Ex-pro Dan Cruz birdied his last three holes to rescue a level-par 72 worth 54 points, and Chino Raymundo added 51 as the duo made up the bulk of the Luisitans’ closing 151, good enough for a seven-point win over the Sugar Barons in the event regarded as the unofficial team championship of the country.
It all boiled down to Luisita-Canlubang in the end as Cebu Country Club, bidding to win the overall title playing in the Founders Division, sputtered with a 141, losing its two-point overnight lead early and never able to recover.
The Cebuanos, though, ran away with the title in their division, their 564 total good for a 24-point win over The Orchard.
“Our closing team just clicked,” Jeric Hechanova, the non-playing skipper who put this Luisita team together, said before the celebration started. “It was a tense day against Canlubang, as always, but the players delivered when they needed to.”
Steve McDonald’s 46 was the last card that counted for Luisita, which threw away the 42 of Rodel Mangulabnan, even as Cangolf was led by the 53 of Damasus Wong and the 50 of Mari Hechanova, who dropped shots in each of his last three holes.
Manila Southwoods got 54 points from Jun Jun Plana, 49 from Theody Pascual and 46 from Joseph Tambunting to finish a point behind Canlubang, who won this event the last time it was held in 2020 when Bacolod played host and before the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered the event for two years.
Hechanova said that the team will be kept intact, basically, save for the expected departure of one of its mainstays next year.
“We will try to keep the whole team as much as possible,” Hechanova, who recruited Tarlac native Marty Ilagan, said. Ilagan counted with 47 points in the first round also at Alta Vista.
The event takes a two-day break before Regular Men’s action, where Southwoods is the heavy favorite, begins.Cebu Country Club and Club Filipino in Danao will host the 72-hole championship.
The annual event, with the theme of “Back to Ignite,” considered the country’s unofficial national team championship, was shelved for two years due to the coronavirus pandemic, and the 74th staging of the event is supported by platinum sponsors ABS-CBN Global, Asian Journal, Airbus, and NUSTAR Resort and Casino.
Gold sponsors include Radio Mindanao Network, Mastercard, MemoRieS FM 89.9 Cebu, University of Mindanao Broadcasting Network, PLDT/Smart, and Konsulta MD.
Joining the event as silver sponsors are Philippine National Bank (PNB), Biocostech, and VISA.
Minor sponsors are Bollore Logistics, Manila Standard, Tanduay Brands International, and Asia Brewery while donors are Department of Tourism, Ogawa, Newport World Resorts, Rolls Royce, and Boeing.
Complete scores:
Championship – Luisita 572(146,137,138,151), Canlubang 565(155,133,125,152), Manila Southwoods 564(143,139,134,148), Del Monte 530(139,126,127,138)
Founders – Cebu 1 564(150,140,133,141), The Orchard 530(139,127,124,140), Riveira 526(141,126,122,137), Alabang 511(122,123,117,149), Valley 505(122,122,122,139), Sherwood Hills 501(132,111,118,140), Pueblo de Oro 499(125,111,127,136), Altavista 1 496(125,119,108,144), Eagle Ridge 483(119,111,128,125), Filam Hawaii 483(128,111,115,129), Villamor Airbase 481(130,117,109,125), Negros Occidental 478(129,117,109,103), Apo 477(132,107,110,128), Wack-Wack 468(121,125,106,116), Camp John Hay 459(125,104,107,123), Guinhalaran 458(104,130,100,124), Manila 483(103,100,110,125), Taotaomona 409(118,80,107,104), Coral Ocean Point 384(88,108,82,105), Bay City 297(86,67,68,76)
Aviator – Mimosa 471(103,141,130,97), SF Maharlika 468(105,143,90,132), Zamboanga 462(113,124,105,120), Iloilo 462(123,119,118,102), Sarangani 458(110,117,109,122), Cebu Country Club 2 453(114,115,105,119), Camp Aguinaldo 444(94,139,117,94), Boggie Buddies Filgolfers 418(91,111,100,116), Forest Hills 415(101,114,106,94), Team Tuga 414(104,103,100,107), Lanang 411(98,106,110,97), Baguio 404(87,108,105,104), Davao 402(99,98,103,102), Via Verde LA 400(116,94), Bacolod 397(86,115,99,97), Guam Seals 382(84,103,105,90), Southern California Redhawk 369(99,106,94,70), Bay Area 2 361(83,91,92,95), Lumbia 355(78,93,95,89), Iligan 353(73,84,105,91), E-Yona 333(95,83,82,73), Liloan 311(72,94,78,67), SF Peninsula 310(73,78,68,91),Fort Bonifacio 306(74,83,88,61), Guam Compadres 270(70,54,80,66)
Sportswriter – Club Filipino de Cebu 457(133,98,112,114), MSU Marawi 414(107,81,109,117), San Juanico 401(111,93,91,106), Eagle Ridge Lagitek 400(91,90,103,116), Rancho Palos Verdes 396(105,91,96,104), Leyte 391(114,66,105,106), Ping Golfers’ 389(109,85,87,108), Paoay 387(103,88,96,100), Edwin Andrews Airforce Base 387(98,89,118,82), Van City 1 378(83,96,97,102), SFO Alliance 373(96,98,82,97), Vancouver Golf Asso of BC 369(95,90,90,94), Cotabato 366(86,96,83,91), Seatle 363(83,67,94,119), Dirab 357(114.75,92,76), SFO East Bay 355(93,93,79,90), Up Tee Jots 352(86,65,90,111), PGA British Columbia 351(87,94,88,82), Mabuhay Golf of SFO 350(83,82,99,86), Filam Fairfield 346(79,66,103,98), Club Intramuros 345(103,92,62,88), Guam Seniors 297(111,62,98,26), Honolulu 292(74,72,61,85), Moffet Field 2 257(60,45,85,67)
Friendship – Malaysian Eagle Hunter 408(101,105,112,92), Canphil 381(112,82,92,97), Veterans 380(78,88,119,95), West Highlands 367(97,92,102,76), Engineers and Architects (Eagle) 365(70,106,92,97), South Cotabato 350(84,94,92,80), Fil Oz Sydney 340(63,99,84,96), West Covina Warriors 327(74,92,85,76), Mt Malindang 318(83,63,89,83), Pinoy Vancouver 325(62,69,93,91), Parbreakers 314(87,68,91,68), Philam Central Florida 312(49,79,93,91), EZ Par 310(70,101,55,84), Filam SFO 297(76,65,86,70), Brotherhood Sharp 294(46,79,69,102), Van City 2 291(68,76,70,77), Filam NJ 290(82,79,62,67), Sky West 283(58,64,63,98), Tri City 272(30,81,78,88), Moffett Field 1 263(68,66,72,57), Bennett Valey 263(61,65,60,77), Pittsburg Filam 262(64,55,64,79), MSU Marawi 2 259(61,67,68,65), Travellers 248(45,99,104), Filcansa 216(73,45,32,66)
