Archers tower over Eagles in golf duel

TAGAYTAY – La Salle frolicked with a more imposing 10-2 victory, including a 6-0 slammer at the close of the foursome and four-ball matches Saturday, pulling away by 12 points over Ateneo in what promises to be another romp for a fourth straight championship in the La Salle-Ateneo Match Play 2008 at the wind-raked Tagaytay Midlands here.

Everything the Archers did right in the first round of the alternate-shot and better-ball formats Friday, they did again yesterday with Justin Limjap and JP Reyes going four-of-four to help power the team to a whopping 18-6 lead over the embattled Eagles heading into the singles matches today.

The Archers, flashing superb conditioning and solid team play in the grueling series, need only to earn 3 1/2 points in the 18 singles matches to reassert their mastery over the Eagles after dropping the inaugurals of the event organized and hosted by Belle Corporation and Tagaytay Highlands in 2004 at Sherwood.

“We fielded in a strong team in the morning four-balls. But in the afternoon foursomes, the matchups were some kind of experimental. If we do good then it will be a walk in the park on Sunday,” said La Salle team captain Freddie Mendoza after the morning matches saw the pairs of Anya Tanpinco-King Stehmeier, JR Tanpinco-Richie Garcia, Chuckie Hong-Justin Limjap, and Abe Rosal-JP Reyes pull of victories in similar fashions.

Marco Olives and Jung Soo Park won three of the last four holes to turn back former national champion Anthony Fernando and John Gobing of Ateneo, 2 and 1, by dusk and complete the stirring 6-0 victory in the afternoon foursomes.

It wasn’t only a good win but a brilliant one.

“This is the effect of wanting to get even with Ateneo. Practically over but the shouting,” said Mendoza.

Limjap and Reyes emerged as La Salle’s prolific scorers with four victories each going into the singles – a virtual crowning phase indeed for the Archers, whose desire and heart to beat their archrivals have not diminished despite their three straight victories in the Ryder Cup-style event.

La Salle took a nine-point lead going into the singles and cruised to a six-point victory to claim their third straight victory last year also here at the challenging Midlands.

After taking another 4-2 romp in the morning matches to hike their lead to 12-6, the Archers never let up. Tanpinco and Lora Roberto whipped the La Salle tandem of Joel Bernaldez and Lovelyn Guioguio, 5 and 3, at the start of the afternoon duels.

Bones Floro and JR Tanpinco then edged Pepot Inigo and Yoyong Velez, 2&1, while Hong and Terence Macatangay trounced Junjun Plana and Jovi Neri, 3 and 2.

Limjap and Reyes, who won their morning assignments with different partners, took another pair of teammates and produced the same results with the former and Miko Alejandro nipping Jude Eustaquio and Mari Hechanova, 2&1, and the latter teaming up with Stehmeier to down Marcel Puyat and Marty Ilagan, 2&1.

In the morning matches, Tanpinco-Stehmeier tandem overwhelmed Eustaquio and Ayon Sanchez, 5&3, JR Tanpinco and Garcia outlasted Bayani Garcia-Mark Rivera, 3&2, the same scores posted by Hong and Limjap in beating Plana and Gab Atienza, and Rosal and Reyes in downing Iggy Clavecilla and Gobing.

Fernando and Ilagan held off the fightback of last year’s top scorer Alejandro and Macatangay to preserve a 1-up win while Puyat annexed his second win in three matches by teaming up with Neri in edging Park and Raffy Garcia for Ateneo’s two points in the fourballs.