By NIMROD NL QUIÑONES
The Cebu teams were off to a slow start Wednesday as the 67th Philippine Airlines Interclub Golf Tournament teed off at Negros Occidental Golf and Country Club and the Bacolod Golf Club in Negros Occidental.
Defending back-to-back champion Cebu Country Club is currently at third place in the premiere Championship Division firing 115 points in the five-to-play, four-to-count format using the Stableford or PAL Points System.
Alta Vista Golf and Country Club and Mactan Island Golf Club floundered in the Founders Division while defending champion Club Filipino Incorporada de Cebu is running fourth in the Sportswriters class.
CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION
Star junior golfer Gen Nagai led Cebu Country Club with two-over-par 34 points while rookie Harvey Sytiongsa added 29 points playing at the narrow and tricky layout of Bacolod Golf Club in the town of Murcia. The course is also fondly referred to as Binitin.
Also counting for the team total were veteran Carl Almario with 26 points and Kiyofumi Takahashi, who also made 26. Jovi Neri, another grizzled veteran of the tournament, fired 25 points, which did not count.
Orchard currently holds the lead in the Championship Division with an opening round of 129 points courtesy of Jik-jik Abdon 35, Rodel Mangulabnan 33, Raymund Sangil 33, and Niko Santiano 28. The 24 of Tonito Payumo did not count.
At second is Del Monte with 125 points. Those who counted for the team total Wednesday were Jelbert Gamolo 35, Magno Arancon 33, Julius Bautista 30, and Francis Morilla 27. The 23 of Jansen Morilla did not count.
Alabang is at fourth with 109 points.
Neri said that Cebu Country Club might be fielding the following for the second round – Montito Garcia, Marko Sarmiento, Bayani Garcia, Andre Borromeo and either him or Eric Deen.
FOUNDERS DIVISION
Valley Golf holds the lead in this second-ranked category with an opening round of 114 points. Apo of Davao is second with 110 followed by Zamboanga with 106.
Eddie Boy Lopez led Valley with 31 while the others who counted were Zaldy Villa 29, Chito Laureta 29, and RJ Barreto 25.
Counting for Apo were Chikoy Saavedra 29, Vincent Gumapac 28, Albernito de castro 27, and Leo Fusillero 26.
Isaac Elumba had 29 points to lead Zamboanga and also contributing to the scoring chores were Eldon elumba 27, Patrick Lee 27, and John Ross Chiong 23.
At fourth to tenth spot are Manila Southwoods 106, Rancho Palos Verdes 103, Tagaytay Highlands 103, Villamor 102, Riviera 101, co-host Negros 100, and Santa Elena 98.
Forest Hills is at 11th along with Iligan both with 97 points and Manila Golf is 13th with 94.
Mactan is at 14th spot with 93 points courtesy of Army officer Gerry Catindoy with 27, Hiroyuki Hasegawa 25, Armand Guangko 23, and Major General Romeo Poquiz with 18 points. The 16 made by Alejandro ‘Jun’ Dayot III did not count.
Pueblo de Oro is at 15th with 88 while Alta Vista is at 16th with 87 points.
Young guns Sir Cross Abarintos, 18 years old, and Weiwei gao, 14 years old, led Alta Vista with 25 points apiece. Charlie Gaite added 20 while last to count was jungolfer Anton Pastoriza with 17. The 16 points of Jun Zambo did not count.
Enrico Solon said that Alta Vista will field four new players Thursday aas action in their category switches to NOGCC. Solon will lead the team for Marapara and he will be joined by Wendell Yap, rookie Aris Mata, Marvin Mendoza, and Pastoriza.
SPORTSWRITERS DIVISION
Lumbia has the lead for this third-ranked group with an opening round of 109 points. Scoring Wednesday at Marapara (NOGCC) were Dave Infante 31, Dupert Locsin 29, leonard Gonzaga 25, and Marlowe Cortez 24.
Eagle Ridge is second with 101 points followed by Iloilo Golf with 100.
Kim Dong Hee led Eagle Ridge with 29 points and was backed by Carlos Tinio III with 28, Boyuet Sortijas 23, and Eric Arbues 21.
Those who counted for Iloilo were Ian Rosales 29, Salvador Aguirre 24, Johnny Young 24, and Telius Ha 23.
Club Filipino could have tied for second, but it ended up with 99 points, which is good for fourth after a two-point deduction was slapped on the team. Those who counted yesterday were Razy Razon 28, Peter Militante 26, Baltaire Balangauan 24, and Ted Almario 23. The 20 of skipper Evans Tumaliwan did not count.
The penalty was slapped on the team after Militante hit his ball for a double-bogey on the par-3 13th.
The same line-up will play for Club Filipino on Thursday in Binitin.
This year’s Interclub is being co-sponsored by CrossOver with Boeing, Philippines Graphic, Stargate Media (People Asia) and Rogue as corporate backers. Also lending support are Airbus, Business Mirror, One Mega Group (Travel Now), Philippine Broadcasting Corporation, Manila Broadcasting Corporation, Petron and Manila Bulletin.
