Forest Hills-Nicklaus opens Fil six-pt lead

BAGUIO, Philippines – Forest Hill-Nicklaus upstaged fancied Manila Southwoods and Mizuno with two under-par cards at Camp John Hay for 135 points and a six-point lead over Mizuno at the start of the Fil Championship flight of the 61st Fil-Am Golf Invitational tournament here yesterday.

Gabby Atienza tamed the par-69 John Hay layout with a three-under 66 worth 39 points while Junard Austria backed him up with 37 points, one-under par in stroke play. Iñigo Raymundo and Rafael Garcia chipped in 31 and 28 points, respectively, as Forest Hills assembled a 135.

That was six points ahead of Mizuno, which assembled a 129 as defending champion Southwoods struggled with a 127, eight points adrift.

Rodel Mangulabnan and King Stehmeier led Mizuno with a pair of 35 points while Richard Joson and John Baron Garcia added 34 and 25 points, respectively.

Southwoods’ drew 35 points from Sung wan Yun while Joseph Tambunting, Teody Pascual and Chepe Dulay added 33, 32 and 27, respectively, for the Carmona-based squad tipped to prevail again this year in the absence of the ICTSI-The Country Club team.

Batangas Barakos stood in fourth in the centerpiece event with 119 as Howie Sison matched par for 36 points, Dino Jimenez carded 31 points, and Jeck Mendoza and Gerald Katigbak tossed in 27 and 25 points, respectively, in the event presented by Toyota and backed by American Eye Center, Rudy Project, Wilson Sports, Gatorade, Carts Plaza and Supreme Bikes.