Aquino paces Mactan tilt

Renato ‘Ninoy’ Aquino scraped for a two-over-par 74 yesterday to lead the regular category at the start of the Mactan-Cebu Amateur Open yesterday at the wind-swept Mactan Island Golf Club in Lapu-Lapu City.

Aquino fired identical nines of 37 to post a two-stroke lead going into today’s second and final round of the tournament backed by PLDTsme Group VisMin.

Tied for second are Hubert Calan and Vijay Vasandani with 76 strokes apiece. Calan had identical nines of 38 while the young Vasandani made 37 and 39.

On solo fourth is defending champion Ronnie Sarigumba with 78 while fifth place was shared by Andrew Cañete and Rowel Oyao with 79 each.

Tied for seventh are Jonathan Dionson and Park Sung Chul with 80 strokes and rounding up the top ten were Zaldy Pioquinto and Alfredo Cabajar with 8u1 strokes each.

The winds blew away the game of many players yesterday resulting to the very high scores.

Seniors

Vidal Hebi set the pace for the category for players aged 55 years old and above posting a commanding eight-stroke lead with his round of four-over-par 76. 

Hebi shot nines of 37 and 39 and was the only player to keep his poise in this class.

A far second is Yoshio Yamane with 84 strokes followed by Felix Villanueva and Higeuo Saito with 85 strokes each.

Pedrito Buenavista is at solo fifth with 86 followed by defending champion Hospicio Razon on sixth with 87.

At seventh to tenth were Oscar Cornelio (88), Boy Alegre (88), Bruce Walker (89), and Ret. Gen. Rodante Joya (91).

There was a somber mood at midday yesterday when news about the crash of an Air Force plane in Cotabato reached the club as Maj. Gen. Mario Butch Lacson, who was among the fatalities, was a popular figure in the club even when he was already stationed in Mindanao.