Ateneo, La Salle golfers share top honors in Samsung tilt

Capped by an exciting sudden-death duel between Montessori Nonoy Negrido and Cebu Centre for International Education’s Bayani Garcia for the overall individual crown, the revival of the Samsung National Interscholastics golf tournament came to a successful close with Ateneo, La Salle-Greenhills, Sto. Niño Learning Center and the Poveda "C" team completing the roster of team champions.

The LSGH squad made up of Ian Intal, Andy Ugarte, Kevin Lachica and Magnum Bakunawa wound up with the tournament-best total of 265 in running away with the high school division plum, beating sister squad La Salle-Zobel by 16 points at the Villamor Golf Club course.

Ateneo, however, claimed two of the five divisions, sweeping both college titles as John Gobing, Vendrick, Simon Valerio and Juan Martirez beat their La Salle rivals by 23 points for the men’s plum and Ada de Claro, Claudine Joyce Chan, Celeste Gomez and Crystal Amores emerged unchallenged in the ladies side.

The Asistio brothers, Antonio, Gabriel and Anelo representing Sto. Niño Learning Center coasted to victory in the boys grade school, routing a hapless Ateneo side while Nicole Clara Serapio, Charlene Marie Abalos and Isabella Marie Pineda making up Poveda "C" won the girls elementary crown by four.

Negrido of MCA-Montessori provided the highlight of the tourney backed by Gatorade, Fila, Custom Clubmakers, Greg Norman by Planet Sports and Hotshots Flame-Grilled Burgers when he turned back the long-hitting Garcia of the Centre for International Education on the second extra hole of a playoff for the overall individual title.

Garcia settled for the high school honors with Kevin Lachica of LSGH taking second place.

Deborah Marie de Villa of Greenhills Christian Fellowship International claimed her biggest win so far by outpointing Crystal Faith Superal of Pilar and world jungolf champion Dottie Ardina for the girls elementary diadem.

The boys elementary plum went to Tonlits Asistio who edged Mikee Camitoc of Montessori Angeles while the 11-under special division was topped by John Kier Abdon who won by 14 over Holen Juan Superal.

The college individual champions were Vendric Dustin Tan of Ateneo and Kim Hong of La Salle.

According to Boy Blue Ocampo of the organizing Professional Sports Management Group, the positive response from various schools has made them seriously consider the staging of the event twice a year.