Almario, Neri share putting honors

Nine-year-old Enzo Almario shared the spotlight with club champion Jovi Neri as they submitted the lowest scores among the 10 winners in the Visayas edition of the Samsung Putting Challenge at the Cebu Country Club over the weekend.

Neri, who is spending more time on the fairways while waiting for the result of his bar exam, tamed the 9-hole makeshift course with just 13 putts while Almario, a young member of the famous sports clan here, had only 14 in clinching slots in the men’s and jungolf divisions, respectively.

Flor Streegan, 66, and club caddie Ronnie Arinque were also among those who clinched tickets to the finals of the putting contest which is part of the Samsung Digitall Challenge, a three-in-one series marking the giant electronics company’s first major involvement in golf.

Co-sponsors of the tourney are TaylorMade Adidas, Gatorade, Maxfli, Fila, Custom Clubmakers and Hotshots Flame-Grilled Burgers. Wave 89.1, City Lite 88.3, 103.5 K-Lite, Magic 89.9, KillerBee and 99.5 RT are radio partners.

The other winners were Clifford Celdran and Samuel Darza in the seniors category, Daizo Kobayashi and Rolando Pila who joined Neri and Arinque as men’s qualifiers, Joan Castillo who was a ladies winner like Streegan and jungolf standout Keenan Ugarte.

Neri and Ugarte also made a double-kill as they aced the designated hole that gave them a crack at a brand new car which will be on offer during the grand finals next year. Also making similar aces were Pico Sarmiento and Alfonso Martinez.

Martinez, a 16-year-old who was denied of a slot in the jungolf division by Enzo, also.became the first player in the series to score two aces.

The putting series now moves back to Luzon for the fifth qualifying leg at the Villamor Golf Club this coming weekend, Dec. 14-15.

The well-attended putting challenge followed a successful Cebu run of the Samsung Amateur Tour where Deen edged Neri for the championship crown. It was also in Cebu where Samsung Philippines president and CEO Sang Youl Eom announced a bigger staging of the Challenge next year.