Abiera, Bitong steer team to big S’woods win

Lito Abiera and Sonny Bitong conspired for a net five-under-par 67 at the tougher Masters course to power their team to victory in the centerpiece Group I division during the recent Manila Southwoods Golf and Country Club course in Carmona, Cavite.

Together with the 69 scored by Marty Ilagan and his partner Raffy Campos at the Legends layout, Abiera and his squad walked away with a four-stroke win in the four-man team tourney that used the scramble format.

Shean Bedi-Boy Escaño shot 69 while Hanson So, Sr.-Thirdy Escaño added a 71 to settle for the runner-up trophy.

Tight battles also punctuated the other four divisions of the monthly tourney sponsored by Samsung, Mitsubishi Motors, Thai Airways, Northwest Airlines, Royal Carribean Cruise and Wilson. There were 290 teams which saw action.

Group II honors went to the quartet of William Co, Victor Gabor, Tony Co and KC Tan while the squad of Dante Yatco, Jeff Co, Ike Yusingco and Perry Morales went home with the Group IV diadem.

A pair of husband-and-wife teams combined to rule Group III as Glenda and Quito da Roza tallied a 72 to lift EJ and Jun Villacorta, who scored a 78, to a one-stroke win.

All division winners went home with Samsung microwave ovens while the second placers each won an Oster Griller. The biggest prize for the tourney, a Samsung DVD receiver home theater system, went to Japanese expat Akira Kubora whose name was picked as the grand raffle winner.

Meanwhile, preparations are in full blast for the club‚s much-awaited member-guest tourney, the Southwoods Invitational, slated on April 1-4.

William Co and company aggregated 138 to beat Manuel Ozamis, Roger Adajar, Gil Domingo and Milton Lalisan by two while Yatco and his team assembleda 142 to finish three strokes clear of Lolit Arguelles, Mila Hechanova, Daisy Tuason and Nini Samaniego.

It was a close shave for the husband-and-wife teams as the Villacorta-Da Roza family squad edged out the team of Felipe Diego, Emily Diego, Virgilio Morada and Florence Okiyama.

Joseph Tambunting had scored back-to-back wins in the last two monthly medal events. Following tradition, the sports and game committee use different formats for the monthly tournaments.