Best game of Jiji’s life

When you see professional golfers play, you feel your skills are inadequate, but when you see them commit mistakes that you would have made, it also makes you feel good.

While watching the Y101 Skins for Heart last Saturday at the Alta Vista Golf and Country Club, I’m sure the many others who went there to watch felt the same way as I did.

I know that hole number 1, which features a ravine separating the tee mounds and the fairway making it very scary for duffers like me, is reachable off the tee.  Last Saturday the pros missed the green though, but by a mere few yards from the back tees.

Their lack of course knowledge however made us feel good as they too flubbed their second shots from the rough and missed what looked like sure birdies, which broke on the last second.

They too lost balls, which I never fail to do so when playing at Alta Vista contributing heavily to the used ball business of the boys on the road heading up to the club. 

But pros are not your ordinary golfers.  They reached that status because of hard work, talent and power.  My son, who caught the action on back nine, said, “it seems that the holes are a lot shorter and the par-4s are mere par-3s.”

More than the fun of watching the pros, the event was, however, something more, it was for a very good cause – to help the victims of typhoon Frank.  I doff my hat to Joseph Stevens and Martha Tuason, who made it happen.

I doff my hat also to the pros – Gerard Cantada, the biggest winner; Gerald Rosales; Marlon Dizon and coach Roger Retuerto – for providing us with another form of entertainment at the golf course.

I’m looking forward to the next time.

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I received a text message from my compadre Jiji Gullas yesterday telling me about his spectacular performance in last Saturday’s monthly medal at the Cebu Country Club.

For the golfers, playing a great round is something we can’t help but tell our friends about.  Jiji scored four-over-par 76 gross, which he said was his first time to again break 80 after a long time and his best game.  Wow! 

With his handicap of 17, Jiji finished with a net score of 59 strokes to handily take the class B title as runner-up Sito Ugarte finished with a net 66.

Jack Huang, Mano Heredia, Erwin Siao and Boy Haros were in the same flight when Jiji scored the feat.

Kiyofumi Takahashi bagged the lowest gross plum with a even-par 72 while Marko Sarmiento topped class A with a net 66 and the runner-up was Franz Olea with 67.

Alot Tan won class C with a net 65 and Mark Garcia was the runner-up with 67.

The rest of the fax from the club wasn’t anymore readable, but congratulations to Jiji and all the winners. 

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MILESTONES: I’d like to wish the following people belated happy birthday – Dr. Sharon Rose Hormachuelos-Santos, Dean Nona Bacatan-Suerte, and Edeliz Lingaro.