With a seven-point lead over the combined team of Cinco Hermanos-Monte Vista, Casa Verde golfers are expected to go flat out to preserve that margin, coast to the victory and into the grand finals, along with the champions of the three other sectoral tournaments of the event sponsored by telecommunications giant Nokia.
With Ferdie Agustin, an 8-handicapper, firing the maximum 40 points under the Stableford scoring system, Casa Verde pooled 300 at the Orchard’s Palmer course and topped the first 18 holes of the event backed by Alaxan, BJ Marthel International, Pisanti golf wear, Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, Kaiseki and 357 Boracay.
Cinco Hermanos-Monte Vista finished second with 293 while Valle Verde 6 assembled 254 under the 12-to-play, 8-to-count format to place third. Kapitolyo, Valle Verde 3-5 and Loyola Grand Villas had 216, 198 and 145, respectively.
Expected to back Agustin for Casa Verde are Vicente Revilla, Florencio delos Santos, Jojo Limpo, Peter Unlay, Edwin Hernandez, Joselito Casal and Alfredo Nasser, while Cinco Hermano-Monte Vista will pin its hopes on the likes of Peregrin de Guzman III, Dante Gozum, Efren Estrada, Feliciano Belizario, Johnny Aruego Jr., Raffy Garcia, Patrick de Guzman and Ted Punzalan.
So awesome were the Casa Verde golfers the first time out that their ninth man — Mike Kaluag — came up with a 35, which could easily count for any team in the fun tournament held to foster camaraderie among the competing teams.
The grand finals, another 36-hole competition, is slated Nov. 15 and 22 at the Tagaytay Midlands and Manila Southwoods, respectively. The north contingent will be led by Philam Homes, Don Enrique Heights and Corinthian. Alabang Hills, Tahanan and Alabang 400 banner the south squad while the central group will be composed of Magallanes, Bel-Air and Greenmeadows.
Meanwhile, Agustin also tries to nail down the crown in the individual competition as he leads Group 2 with 33 points. Cinco Hermanos’ Garcia shows the way in Group I with 34 points. Other individual leaders are Casa Verde’s Casal (26 points, Group 3) and De Guzman (28 points, Group 4).