Interesting finale

Cebu’s biggest-ever professional golf tournament will be coming to a close today.

With the final round set to start at 7:30 a.m., organizers hope to have the awards ceremony of the $65,000 event by 2 p.m.

The winner will be receiving a little over $11,000 and the way it looks, there are four players who appear to have a very good chance to win it and another five, who still have a good chance to pull a surprise.

Leaders Elmer ‘Eming’ Salvador and Jonathan Moore as well as brothers Jay and Rufino Bayron have the best chance to claim the title.

Eming shot his third straight round of one-over-par 71 yesterday as is three-over-par for the tournament. So is Jonathan, who told me yesterday that this is the second time he played in our country. The first was during the Philippine Open in Wack-Wack earlier this year.

The Bayron brothers, who like Eming are from Davao, are a four-over for Jay and five-over for Rufino.

Last year, Jay came from behind to win the inaugural Aboitiz Invitational.

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A bunch of others are one more stroke behind, just three off the leaders, which puts them in a good position to win.

The weather has been great this week, and the course, though tough, seems to have impressed many including the club members, who have played nine holes before the pros teed off and after the last flight.

I had the opportunity to try the course last Tuesday during the pro-am event and it surely was a different Cebu Country Club with greens that were super hard and slippery.

Many of the professionals found the course very tough and their scores showed how hard it was for them.

Jiji Gullas, who played nine holes yesterday, told me that it was great to have had a chance to experience playing in championship course conditions.

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Jiji, who is the golf chairman of Club Filipino Incorporada de Cebu, also told me that he is now busy preparing for the Corn Tee, which is set next week at their course in Danao City.

The Corn tee is a four-man team event where one member teams up with three guests. The Stableford Scoring System will be used.

The event is set on September 7 to 10, which kind of broke my heart as I would be busy with the national convention of the Philippine Society for Industrial Security, which our chapter is hosting at Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino on September 8 to 10.

Jiji said that registration for the tournament is pegged at P2,500 per player and their club members are allowed to have more than one team.

Hole-in-one prize is P1 million and a Skygo motorcycle is at stake for an eagle on all par-4 holes.

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MILESTONES: Congratulations to Madame Marilou Tadlip, who opened Benchmark8 Resources last Thursday. This is a specialty bookstore for schools and similar institutions located along R. Landon St., Cebu City.

Happy birthday greetings go to Arabelle Abellana-Villa, Gordon ‘Dondi’ Joseph, Jerry Sun, Lalaine Go-Singco, Stella Palomo-Monteño, Laurita Tapao-Badinas, Lino Gilbert Parone, and Stephen ‘Teban’ Go.

Advance greetings to those celebrating tomorrow like Charlene Go of Cebu City Marriott Hotel and Charisma Ong-Pinna.

More power to all of you!