WW overcomes Valley, snares Fed League title

MANILA, Philippines - Wack Wack ended a 10-year title drought when it turned back Valley in their home-and-away showdown for the Men’s Federation League championship over the weekend.

Tommy Manotoc and his two sons, Gabriel and Matthew, were instrumental in the title romp as they led their partners to crucial victories at their Mandaluyong home course that handed Wack Wack a 6-4 result and its second league title since winning for the first and only time in 2001.    

For Valley, it was another foiled bid for its first ever championship. The Antipolo team, which lost to Riviera last year, took a 3-2 lead after their hosting turn on Friday but Wack Wack reversed the outcome with a 4-1 result last Sunday.

Tommy Manotoc partnered with Lito Tan for a 8&6 rout of Damasus Wong and Joey Ramoso in greensomes to get the rally going for Wack Wack and tie the count at 3-3.

Gabriel Manotoc then teamed up with EJ Marcelo in a 5&4 manhandling of Valley’s Eddie Boy Lopez and Jeff Bernaldez for the go-ahead point in high-low play.

Now 4-3 up ahead, the decisive points for Wack Wack came almost simultaneously when John Gobing and Kit Lopez outplayed  Edmund Yee and Zaldy Villa, 4&3, in bestball and Matthew Manotoc chalking up the final point partnering with Buddy Velayo in a 5&4 decision of Butch Bakunawa and RJ Barreto in the aggregate format.

Sammy Sy and Hubert Lim yielded the scramble format to Valley’s Chino Raymundo and Raymund Puyat but their teammates came to rescue.

Wack Wack reached the finals with another come-from-behind victory over Alabang in the semifinals while Valley made it to the title match for the second straight year after ousting Eastridge in the tourney that featured member clubs of the Federation of Golf Clubs Philippines, Inc.