Ateneo beats La Salle anew

CEBU, Philippines - For only the second time in eight editions La Salle had more players than Ateneo, but then there were other numbers that mattered more, the points earned by the participants and for the seventh time, the Blue Eagles topped the Green Archers in the Ateneo-La Salle Golf Classic at the Cebu Country Club.

Ateneo amassed a total of 70 points to run away with the crown, which it only failed to take during the 6th edition of the tournament.

The Blue Eagles took three of the four lowest gross honors at stake and three of the four lowest net honors.

Lawyer Jovi Neri of Ateneo took the lowest gross honors for class A shooting even-par 72 strokes despite having to deal with the heavy downpour early afternoon that halted play for several minutes.

The lowest net plum for the premiere handicap class went to Ramon Sebastian also of Ateneo, who had a strong front nine to help him through the day after struggling with form in the back nine. He had a gross score of 79 strokes and finished with a net score of 72 beating two others in the countback.

Dr. Tony San Juan of La Salle finished as first runner-up also with a net score of 72 while second runner-up was Ateneo’s Clifford Celdran also with 72.

The lowest gross honors for class B went to Ateneo’s Efren Sarmiento with 80 strokes.

It was also an all-Ateneo show in the net category was Ari Clinton Lee led a 1-2-3 finish with his 66 strokes. First runner-up was Collin Go with 68 edging Toby Florendo, who settled for the second runner-up plum, in the countback.

Dondi Joseph broke the Ateneo stranglehold of the lowest gross awards as the former president of the Cebu Chapter of the La Salle Alumni Association scored 94 strokes to top class C.

Ateneo’s Joel Ong however topped the net category scoring 74 strokes and edging teammate Gerry Aquino in the countback. Second runner-up was La Salle’s Brucedy Chan with a net score of 75.

In the open division Angelo Marquez of Ateneo won the lowest gross honors with 87 strokes.

La Salle’s Ryan Yu won the lowest net plum in the Blind Callaway Handicapping System with a net 75 to lead a sweep by La Salle. First runner-up was Javy Quintos, president of the One La Salle Cebu Alumni Association, with a net 77 while second runner-up was Marc Yu with a net score of 78.

A special award – a Skygo motorcycle – was given to Ateneo’s Dustin Morada for scoring an eagle on the par-5 hole number 7.

La Salle had a total of 28 players in the tournament while Ateneo had 27. The Green Archers would have had more players if not for the conflict in the schedule of the Philsutech golf event where many La Sallians from Bacolod also took part in.   (THE FREEMAN)