Korean teener shines in Mizuno Scramble tilt

Korean teenager Kevin Lee opened the year with two major wins at the Orchard Golf and Country Club recently, first clinching the club championship then teaming up with Quino Baterna for the low gross crown in the Mizuno Scramble co-sponsored by Ziebart.

The 16-year-old Lee, a dependent here with a mission to break into the pro ranks soon, became the youngest player to reign as club champion after beating the highly-fancied Louie Garcia, winner of the crown two years ago, in the finals, 4 and 3.

Lee’s appetite for winning stretched to the club scramble where he teamed up with Baterna for a five-under 67 to run away with the low gross plum.

Tom Clemente, general manager of the Orchard, said that there will be more club events sponsored by companies like the scramble supported by Mizuno and Ziebart during the year.

The other winners in the scramble tourney were Ricardo Nimo-Nilo Ocampo (lowest net), Shigemi Chikama-Lito Carvajal (Division I), Louie Villa-Abrille-Rene Lim(Division II), Andres Superable-Merilyn Superable (Division III).

In the club championship, the Class A crown was won by Yeung Bok Lee who defeated Tommy Owyong, Marvin Dy took Class B at the expense of Aaron Dimabuyu, Roberto Yao beat Leo Espiritu for the Class C title and Herman Reyes prevailed in Class D with Danny Enriquez settling for second.

Urbie Burgos turned back Andy Vasquez for the senior plum and Cynthia Antonio won over Edna Gatmaitan for the ladies title.

The tandem of Mel Malabanan-Cesar Seguban actually tied Chikama-Carvajal with a 64 in the top group of the scramble but lost in the countback.

Kenneth Ti and Peter Unlay lost to Villa-Abrille and Lim (60) by one, while the Superables were countback winners over Benjamin Ng-Randy Ng in a family showdown for Division III honors after both ended up with 61s.