No stopping Southwoods in Fil-Am golf

BAGUIO CITY–CAP Southwoods moved unassailably ahead of its chief rival with a 28-point margin yesterday built around a fiery three-under par card of its top gun and its ever-growing dynasty looked secured in the 53rd Fil-Am invitational golf team championship here.

National champion Jerome Delariarte, who is to leave Monday for the Putra Cup in Hongkong, turned an expected showdown with archrival DHL Mizuno into a shattering rout as he came in with 39 points on three-under par 58 at the Baguio Country Club course.

With two 31 cards from Juami Rocha and Erwin Vinluan and one of the 30s of Toru Nakajima and Gene Bondoc, the reigning champions had a total 131 and three-round card of 424, 28 points ahead of DHL Mizuno which had 119-396.

"It’s a comfortable lead because the group is playing well and we’re very much in control," said Southwoods spokesman Jeric Hechanova.

It will be a sheer match play for CAP Southwoods in the final round over the compact mountain-top course with its players needing to coast along to nail its fourth straight crown.

"It’s like being given seven strokes per player in the final round and that’s a tall order, so we’ll try to reduce the round into a virtual one-on-one," said Hechanova.

DHL Mizuno failed to cope with Southwoods crisp offensive in the day as it staggered with a low 119 for 396 with Jojo Fernando the best scorer with 31 points.

Paul Miñoza, another Putra Cup-bound player together with Juvic Pagunsan and Jay Bayron, had 30 points, the same card of Romeo Jaraula while Joel Opaco had 28 and Jett Plete didn’t count with 25.

Forest Hills also virtually gained third place with 365 on 108 with Jose Quimson carding a 29, Larry Patnongon a 27 while Rafael Garcia and Rogelio Laput, Jr., 26 each.

Haidee Construction was fourth with 320 with only four men seeing action, Kim Chang-hoi had a 28, Samuel Bugayong a 24, Augusto Ayson 25 and Francis Nepomuceno a 20.

DHL Mizuno had some anxious moments in the championship of the Am division at the nearby Camp John Hay course as CAP Southwoods made a stirring comeback with 135 to reduce its 17-point deficit to only 10 going into the final day for 367. Mizuno had 128 for 377.

Hanson So and Lyndon Barril had 35 points each, Junjun Plana rebounded with a 33 and Artemio Murakami a 32. Mark Lopez had a 28 and didn’t count.

Del Monte’s Tristan Tabanas continued its subpar performance with 37 points after earlier 37 and 40 to emerge as DHL Mizuno’s top pointman. Former jungolfer Greg Laguatan had 33 while Jimmy Feliciano and Lawrence Negrido 29 points apiece. Rudy Amata had 26.

Eastridge was firmly placed at third with 330 following a 117 while Forest Hills had 110-305 for fourth and Blue Cross-Assist American 103-278.

The 53rd Fil-Am is presented by Smart Communications with CAP, Royal Caribbean Cruise, Northwest Airlines, Wilson, BCDA, JPDA, Premiere Wines and San Miguel Corp., as major sponsors. The minor sponsors are Blue Cross Assist America, Caltex, U-Bix, Brent School, Pizza Hut-Baguio.