Gonzalez, Unchuan, Cañete top UBS golfest

The trio of Marc Gonzalez, Jovie Unchuan, and Antonio Cañete bagged the premiere title of 8th UBS Golf Tournament played over the weekend at the Cebu Country Club.

Gonzalez, Unchuan, and Cañete combined for a net 22-under-par 50 strokes on the first day then made 27-under-par 47 on the second day for a total of 97 strokes in the three-man scramble event.

The tournament format provides that each player of a three-man team plays from tee to green and the best score among the three members would count for the team total.

First runner-up for division U, which was the premiere handicap class, went to the team of Ruben Almendras, Faustino Froilan, and Pete Polo with rounds of 52 and 48 for a total of 100 strokes.

Second runner-up was the team of Henry Gocuan, Martin Montenegro, and Manuel Dy, Jr. with 53 and 50 for a total of 103. They won the second runner-up honors after beating two other teams in the countback.

The division B plum went to the trio of Francis Dy, Bebs Libre, and Luis Velez with rounds of 56 and 52 for a total of 108.

First runner-up for the group was the team of Luis Aboitiz and the father and son duo of Danny and Eric Deen, with 109 on rounds of 57 and 52. The Deens are the only father and son tandem to have won the club championship of Cebu Country Club.

Tinoy Reyes, Steve Lava, and Ernesto Limkakeng bagged the second runner-up honors with 110 on rounds of 56 and 54.

In the individual competition played under division S, Kenneth Ngo won the title with a two-day net score of 160 strokes.

First runner-up was Rolly Santos with 163 edging Roy Damole in the countback. Damole settled for the second runner-up honors.

UBS is a Switzerland-based private bank that has been a regular supporter of golf tournaments in Cebu.

The past eight years, the tournament has usually been an individual event until organizers decided to give it a new twist this year.

Highlighting the tournament was an ace scored by Vicente 'Inting' Sy on hole No. 5 last Saturday that earned him as Ford Focus.

The ace was Sy's first and was witnessed by his teammates Edward Go and Bruno Gonzalez and flightmates Wellington Lim, John Uy, and Arturo Go.-NLQ