Ateneo golfers seize control in Samsung tilt

Ateneo made a bold move to deny the La Salle sweep bid by surging ahead in the college and grade school divisions in the first round of the sixth Samsung Interscholastic golf championships at the challenging Tagaytay Highlands Golf and Country Club course Sunday.

Raymond Escalona scored a day-best 52 points, Don Padilla carded 45 and either of the 44s of Vendric Tan and Kevin Lachica counted as the third score of Ateneo which posted a 141 for an early eight-point lead over La Salle’s two teams in the college division play.

With Marcel Puyat firing 49, Ateneo also managed to inch ahead by two over La Salle in grade school action. Bino dela Paz tallied 40 and Rafael Vera Cruz contributed 32 to boost the cause of Ateneo (121) against La Salle.

La Salle, however, grabbed the lead in the girls college-high school and boys high school categories of the tourney backed chiefly by Samsung Electronics Philippines, Inc. and co-sponsored by Tokyo Tokyo, KZG, Microtel, Srixon, Philippine Airlines as the official carrier, Sunbolt, Rudy Project, C-Lium Fiber and Sports Plus. Media partners are Wave 89.1, Jam 88.3, 89.9, 99.5 RT, 103.5 K-Lite and Killer Bee.

Poveda’s Paulina Sotto (42) and Andie Unson (37) opened up a six-point spread over Master’s Academy in the girls grade school.

Miko Yee, last year’s overall individual champion, and Marco Olives combined for 85 points and Alan Guy added 43 as La Salle-Greenhills totaled 138 to zoom ahead by eight over OB Montessori in boys high school.

Geleen Handog was good for 46 points and Kim Hong had 40 for La Salle-Taft’s 86 total that pushed them ahead by six over Miriam and by nine over Ateneo.

Individual leaders were Escalona (college), Puyat (elementary), Miko Alejandro of La Salle-Zobel (high school), JR Gonzales and RJ Tallud (special division) in boys play and Beverly Mendoza and Cyna Rodriguez (high school-college), Sotto (elementary) and Min Kim and Princess Superal (special division) in the girls side.

Escalona was five up on Marlo Capinianes, Alejandro was three up over Carlos Ochoa, Puyat led AR Ramos, Anthony See and Miggy Yee by eight, while Gonzales and Tallud shared a three-point lead. Mendoza and Rodriguez both had 49s to lead Handog by three, Sotto inched ahead by one over Legaspi while Kim and Superal tied for the top spot with 49s.