Popps prevail in Founders Cup

MANILA, Philippines - The Popp couple, Wolfgang and Christine, led their guest partners to victory while the King Stehmeier-John Papa tandem staged an amazing comeback in the final nine to retain the low gross plum in the 13th Founders Cup tournament, the member-guest tournament of the Orchard Golf and Country Club in Dasmariñas, Cavite.

Wolfgang and Dennis Reyes actually ended up tied with Christine and her teammate Rita Horan at 129 points for the No. 1 spot in the tourney presented by Coca-Cola. But the former took the overall title after prevailing in the countback.

Wolfgang and Reyes made 79 points at the Palmer course then returned with a 50 at the Player to show up a blockbuster field of 800 golfers, which was the largest for a member-guest event in the country this year.

Christine and Rita settled for the champions trophy in Class A where it was their turn to nip Vicente Romano III and Luigi Tabuena by one.

Stehmeier and Papa came from behind with a seven-under bestball gross of 43 points on the second day to beat the Romano-Tabuena pair by two and clinch the low gross award for the second straight year.

Major sponsors of the tourney were Honda Cars Cavite, Mizuno, Philippine Airlines and Sta. Lucia Realty & Development Corp while BDO, Orchard Properties, Phil Ports Authority, Security Bank Corp., The Turf Company, and Trends & Technologies, Inc. served as premium sponsors.

Hole sponsors were Pagcor, Arch. Nelson Montealegre & Associates, Avida Sales Corp., Beneficial-PNB Life, Emeritus Security & Maintenance System, EZ-GO Pinnacle, F.D. Nolasco, First Tee-Srixon, Flownet Irrigation, GG & A, Harbor Star Shipping Services, Inc., Information Professionals, Inc., International Heavy Equipment Corporation, John Gil Catering, Joseph Server & Associates, Asian Turfgrass Center and Bernhard & Co., Nguyen Tuan, Nishino Leather Industry Inc., Osim Phils., Inc., Pacsports Phils., Inc., Perrys Group, Phil. Charter Insurance, PPI Prime Ventures, Promise Land Trading, Sap Build Enterprise, SLB Trading & Pump Specialist, The Great Depot, Titleist Services Inc. and Inquirer Golf.

Division awards went to Ben Malcontento-Henrick Tan in Class B, Angelito Colona-Joel Bodegon in Class C and Julio Javier II-Alfredo Cebedo in Class D. The sponsors division was won by Cesar Muñoz and Lito Castrillo.