South whips North in singles, wins duel

MANILA, Philippines - Humbled in team play, Team South banked on its individual talents to outwit Team North, winning nine of the 12 singles matches to capture the crown in the inaugural Duel – North vs South golf showdown, 16-12, at Alabang Country Club yesterday.

Elmer Salvador and Marvin Dumandan sparked the Southerners’ romp in head-to-head duels, posting a 5&4 triumph over Mars Pucay and a 1-up win over Jun Bernis, respectively, before Elmer Saban, Anthony Fernando, Mhark Fernando followed suit with victories over Randy Garalde (2&1), Gene Bondoc (3&1) and Benjie Magada (3&2), respectively.

Joenard Rates actually kept Team North in the fight with a 2&1 win over Richard Sinfuego in the third match but Rufino Bayron, Tony Lascuna, Ferdie Aunzo and Jay Bayron all rolled past their rivals to clinch the victory for Team South in the three-day event sponsored by International Container Terminal Services, Inc.

Rufino Bayron won the 18th hole and posted a 2-up victory over Gerald Rosales, Lascuna dominated Artemio Murakami, 5&4, Aunzo held off Miguel Tabuena, 2&1, and Jay Bayron capped the come-from-behind win with a 1-up victory over Carl Santos-Ocampo.

ICTSI PR manager Narlene Soriano, Alabang GC president Jojo Gana and general manager Cynthia Matias awarded the trophies to the winners in the event sponsored by Nike Golf, Custom Clubmakers, FootJoy, Callaway, Titleist, Srixon, Mizuno and Sharp.

Mike Bibat edged Jhonnel Ababa, 2&1, while Angela Que frustrated Cassius Casas, 2&1, for Team North’s two other wins in the singles of the novel tournament organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. which featured the top 24 players from last year’s ICTSI Philippine Golf Tour Order of Merit rankings.

“The win in the afternoon matches of the second round boosted our confidence heading to the singles,” said South skipper Charles Hong, referring to his wards’ 3-1 victory in Thursday’s rain-suspended foursomes that cut North’s lead to 7-9.

Team North dominated the first day of action, 8-4, but South struck late in the second day with Casas and Mhark Fernando beating Magada and Garalde, 5&4, Lascuna and Saban thumping Rates and Bondoc, 6&5, and Aunzo and Jay Bayron whisking off Que and Tabuena, 3&2.

Bibat and Bernis delivered the lone win for North, 1-up, over Dumandan and Ababa.

“We would have been hard-pressed to win all singles matches had we trailed by a big margin. That’s why our target is to really keep it close after the second round,” said Hong.

They did. And then individual talents took over.

Salvador, the former OOM winner, hit eight birdies to easily dispose of Pucay, while Dumandan swept the last two holes to complete a come-from-behind win over Bernis.

Jay Bayron also fought back from three holes down after No. 11 with a stirring four-birdie string from No. 12 to stun Santos-Ocampo while Lascuna, coming off a big win in the ICTSI-PGT Eagle Ridge Invitational last week, smothered Murakami with a superb all-around game.

“I was hoping to get enough points (in the singles) to win it. But we’ll get the title next year,” said North team captain Cookie La’O.