Eric Deen leads semis cast in CCC Championships

On a day when the big guns fell, defending champion Eric Deen held his ground yesterday and advanced to the semifinals of the Cebu Country Club Championships for 2005.

By tradition, the club holds the championship for the year that had just past during summer of the current year.

Deen, who is seeded third in the matchplay rounds, made short work of Korean actor Joshua Kim, 6 and 4, to advance to the final four.

Deen, winner of the title last year, also won three in a row from 1997 to 1999. He is a regular fixture in the annual championship as one of the club's most consistent players.

He is set to face former two-time junior club champion Charles Hong, who is turning 18 years old next month. Tenth seed Hong scored a major coup in the quarterfinals dropping six-time champion Ramontito Garcia, 3 and 2.

Hong, who is entering his sophomore year as a Civil Engineering student in De la Salle University, won the junior club titles in 2002 and 2003. Garcia was club champion for five straight years from 1990 to 1994 and last won it in 2002.

The other semifinal battle for the club title will be played between 1996 junior club champion Jose Niñi 'Jojo' Tiongko (4) and Joseph Stevens (8).

Tiongko scored a 4 and 2 win over 2001 champion Jovi Neri while Stevens upstaged top-ranked Mark Dy, 1-up.

Championship Matches

Five championship matches are also scheduled later today for the other handicap and age divisions.

Playing for seniors' club championship will be defending champion Masaya 'Happy' Hishida (2) and Ben Dapat (4).

Hishida, who also won the seniors' title in 2002, beat former national team member Sammy Darza (3) in the semis, 4 and 3.

Dapat, a former president of the club, also scored a 4 and 3 win over Boy Gonzaga (8).

In the super seniors' class, defending champion Anthony Jackson (1) faces Danny Deen (2) for the title.

Jackson, who was also seniors' champion of the club in 2003, scored a 7 and 6 triumph over Chiaki Endo (4).

Deen, Eric's father and club champion in 1979, also scored a convincing 6 and 5 win over Luis Velez to earn a championship slot.

In class B, Kenneth Dyguani (8) scored another upset, this time a close 1-up win over Anthony Bejar (5) to arrange a title showdown with the youthful Charles Daniel Uy (6).

Uy made it to the final with an imposing 7 and 6 win over banker Michael Go (2), who was mesmerized by the outstanding shot making of the young boy, who opened the match with at even-par on the front nine.

Top-ranked Bruno Gonzalez made it to the class C final with another 4 and 2 win this time over Andrew Si (5).

The opponent of Gonzalez will be Henry Dy (2), who drubbed Jojo Ong, 2 and 1.

The class D final pits Masao Koike (1) versus Antonio Baltazar (3).

Koike scored a 4 and 3 win over Boy Barcelo, while Baltazar also scored a 4 and 3 win against Shigekazu Sakunaga.

The awards ceremony of the tournament is set on Saturday. The final match, which will be for 36 holes, of the club championship is set tomorrow. - NLQ