Luisita extends PAL golf reign

BACOLOD CITY – Luisita Golf and Country Club, playing with the same intensity like the day before, scored 231 yesterday and the opposition never had the chance in the 16th Philippine Airlines Seniors Inter-Club.

Together with their explosive opening round of 236, the grand old swingers from Tarlac City compiled 467 to easily capture their third straight Championship Division crown and their 10th in 15 years.

Wack Wack Golf and Country Club, also continuing its murderous form, toured the Negros Occidental Golf and Country Club course with 212 to also run away with the Founders Division title.

The Mandaluyong City parbusters earlier played the par-72, 6,197-yard layout designed by the legendary Luis "Golem" Silverio with 218 to win the title by 22 with 430.

Over at the Bacolod Golf and Country Club in Binitin, Murcia, Negros carded 203 to go with its first round 208 to capture the Friendship Division championship with 411.

Alabang Country Club, led by reigning Philippine seniors champion Caloy Coscolluela, came up with 223 to go with an earlier 220 to emerge surprise second placer behind Luisita at 443.

Manila Southwoods closed out with 209 to settle for second place behind Wack Wack with 408 while Fil-Am SEO closed out with 196 for 399 to finish second behind Negros.

"This is a great victory and an important one because we are just one short of duplicating our four-peat from 1991 to 1994," said Luisita team manager Rudy Samson.

"The guys once again played with intensity. Before they teed off, all I did was to remind them to again give their best shots. And, what do you know, they delivered."

Echoed team skipper Richie Garcia, still a Philippine Sports Commission member since his resignation a month ago has not been acted upon, "One more time, we played as a team. We have prepared for this for one month. Our effort was not wasted."

Alex Montelibano, 63, playing a course he has known as a very young man, birdied the final hole from 25 feet to make 48 points to share day low team honors with fellow Negrense Garcia, 56.

Silay Mayor Carlo Gamban, 62, Lucio Yan, 65, and Marcelo Alfonso, the oldest of the group at 69, all came up with 45 points apiece to complete Luisita’s scoring.

Those who didn’t count were Cesar Muñoz, 61, with 41 and Antipolo City barangay aspirant King Sumulong, 57, and Alan Gaston, 62, with 40 each.

Tournament format allows a team to field eight players each round but only the best five scores are counted. Scoring is via the Molave system that gives one point for a double bogey, two bogey and so on.

Only those who are 55 or older are eligible in the 36-hole event spread out over three days.

The tournament’s major sponsors were Fortune Tobacco, Boeing International Corp., Radio Network/E! Television, Airbus Industrie, Nation Broadcasting Corp./MTV, ABS-CBN International, Premier Wine and Spirits and Smart Communications.

PLDT, Tanduay Distillers, Asia Brewery, 96.3WRock, Pagcor, UMBN, Century Park Hotel, DWWW, 105.1 Crossover, GE Aircraft Engines, Taylor Made Adidas and StopOver Travel and Lifestyle Magazine/Wings Pacific Publishers are the corporate sponsors.

The minor backers are CNN, Boysen, Pacific, Paint, Mandarin Oriental Hotel and Marco Polo Hotel Group.