Cantada to lead Putra Cup team

TRECE MARTIRES City – Gerard Cantada closed out with a 73 yesterday to officially top the marathon Putra Cup Qualifying Series at the Sherwood Hills Golf and Residential Estates course.

Together with his 72 and 74 at the Riviera Golf and Country Club’s Couples Course, 75 and 72 at the Orchard’s Palmer Course, 74 and 69 at the Riviera’s Langer Course and a 76 at Sherwood Wednesday, Cantada wound up with 585.

Angelo Que, the reigning national amateur champion, scored a final round 76 to take second place at 596, followed by Jerome Delariarte (76-598) and Cookie La’O (71-601).

Joselito Zaragoza Jr. made a 77 to finish fifth with 636 while Solomon Gines came up with a 75 to take the next slot with 639.

Jun Bernis made a 78 to place seventh with 641. Completing the field are Ronnie Torrecampo eighth with 76-646, Raymund Sangil ninth with 78-647 and King Stehmeier 10th with 92-684.

The National Golf Association of the Philippines put up the series to determine the national team for the Putra Cup, slated next month in Thailand.

Meanwhile, after a much-needed rest yesterday, the country’s golfing elders go back to the Wack Wack Golf and Country Club’s West Course today for the final round of the Asia Pacific Seniors qualifying series.

Alabang’s Caloy Coscolluela will tee off at 8:30 a.m. at the par 72, 6,233-yard course with a one-shot lead after shooting 75 and 78.

Also in the final flight are Coscolluela’s closest pursuers in the battle for six slots to the national team — Villamor’s Col. Rico Javier, Riviera president Danny Pizarro and teammate Balty Baltazar.

Others in contention are Art Empamano of Apo with 156, and Wack Wack president Ben Abalos and Alabang’s O.V. Espiritu with 158s.