Sugar Barons virtual PAL Interclub champs
Canlubang exploded with a fiery round of 137 at the Negros Occidental Golf and Country Club here yesterday, virtually reducing Manila Southwoods from a challenger to a mere contender as it all but clinched a third straight PAL Interclub regular men’s championship with a whopping 24-point advantage halfway through the 72-hole championship.
It took a diminutive Mario Labajo to give Canlubang an insurmountable lead that lined up the talent-laden squad to a record matching feat – a third straight sweep of the seniors and men’s divisions – in this annual event as he turned in a tournament-best 39-point output, three-under par 67 in medal play.
With Joey Huerva matching par 70 worth 36 points and Rufino Bayron shooting 32 and either of the 30s of Joseph Labajo or Zanie Boy Gialon counting for the team, the Sugar Barons turned a shaky three-point lead into an incredible 24-point advantage as Southwoods misfired with a paltry 116 on the tough par-70 layout.
“Okay guys, you can tell it’s in the bag,” said Cangolf team skipper Luigi Yulo after his last player – Bayron – in the five-man, four-to-count tournament holed out under overcast skies.
With a 267 aggregate, Canlubang could go through the motions of completing play in the last two days. But with a roster so deep in talent, the lead could become even bigger.
“We still got a lot of players,” said Yulo, referring to his top guns – Jhonnel Ababa and Mark Fernando – who will see action, along with Paul Echavez, Jessie Balasabas and Bayron, at Binitin today.
So poor was Southwoods round that Del Monte, assembling 120, caught the Carmona-based golfers at second at 243. Reigning national champion Anthony Fernando, expected to lead Southwoods’ charge, even lost his duel with Huerva with 35 points while Jin Jun Jong, Junjun Plana and Justin Limjap made so-so 29, 27 and 26, respectively.
Del Monte drew 33 points from Park Jun Sub while Jett Plete had 31 and Julius Bautista and Art Arbole chipped in 29 and 27, respectively.
Despite the meltdown, Southwoods team captain Thirdy Escano refused to give up and vowed to put up a fight till the final round.
“We had a bad round, but we’re not conceding,” said Escano, who is expected to field in his best squad composed of Fernando, Tonton Asistio, Gene Bondoc, Chucky Hong and Miko Yee.
It was not Cangolf’s best team that showed up yesterday, but it was more than enough to turn what had started out to be a close fight into a second round rout.
What he lacked in height, Mario Labajo made up with power and a superb iron game that produced five birdies, including three straight from No. 11 from where he teed off.
“I did expect to score this low because it was like playing back home,” said Mario Labajo, 36, referring to the challenging layout similar to the one he plays on in Matina,
Counting his 32 at Binitin, Mario Labajo, a five-foot shotmaker who averages 270 yards off the tea, leads the race in the individual competition with 71 points, one better than teammate Huerva, who had 70 points.
It was Mario Labajo’s best score in three years in the Interclub and he did it over a course where he humbled former national champion and now Asian Tour campaigner Artemio Murakami in the quarterfinal round of the national championship in 2005.
Meanwhile,
Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier, GE Aviation, MTV Philippines and Solar Sports are platinum sponsors while Action Asia, Business Mirror, Crossover 105.1, Pacsports and Royal Caribbean International, Fortune Tobacco, GECAS, MasterCard, People Asia, RMN, Bombo Radyo, Callaway Golf, Century Park Hotel, Lufthansa Technik, Patio Pacific Boracay are major backers of the PAL Interclub.
The annual event is also supported by Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. and Pan Pacific Hotel.
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