Highlands fends off Alabang, bags WGAP

MANILA, Philippines - Tagaytay Highlands pulled off a scrambling victory in Class B as it thwarted Alabang’s final leg charge to capture the 2012 Champion Infinity WGAP Circuit presented by Pacsports overall crown at Sta. Elena Golf Club in Laguna recently.

The Highlanders pooled a 148 to edge Villamor by one and foil the Alabang ladies’ make-or-break bid after topping Classes A and C in the final stage of the eight-leg circuit organized by Women’s Golf Association of the Phils and sponsored by Champion Infinity and Pacsports.

That Class B win worth three points proved enough for Tagaytay Highlands to wrap up the overall championship as it assembled 28 points, two points ahead of Alabang, which rallied from six points down with a seven-point splurge, including a third place finish in Class B where it scored a 146.

Totelle Dimson fired 39 under the Modified Stableford scoring system while Grace Kyung Jung Hee and Marixi Prieto shot 37 apiece and Lilibeth de Villa added 35 for the Highlanders’ title-clinching 148.

Jing Lozada had 40, Lisa Ferreras made a 39 and Melissa Gozum and Nancy Tsay shot identical 34s for Villamor while Arlene Barclay also turned in a 40-point output, Marl Mendoza and Lanfen Hsieh added a pair of 36s and Vivian Chua made a 34 for Alabang’s 146.

Lozada later nipped Barclay and Sta. Elena’s Junko Naruse, who also shot 40 points, in the countback for the individual crown.

Villamor made two runner-up finishes in Classes A and B to finish with 22 points for third while Aguinaldo placed second in Class B and wound up fourth with 21 points followed by Forest Hills and Sta. Elena, which ended up with 16 and 15 points, respectively.

The top five teams will compete in a Ryder Cup style two-stage tournament set next month with Sta. Elena taking the last spot after Aguinaldo backed out from the upcoming event.

Bernice Ilas and Mavis Deary shot identical 40 points while Ana Luisa Mendoza and Joan Morales scored 39 and 35, respectively, as Alabang assembled a 154 to dominate Class A. Villamor, with Harmie Constantino winning the individual title with 38 points, placed second with 144 while Sta. Elena took third place with a 143.

Alabang, behind Minerva Castillo’s 42 points, Greely Oposa’s 38 and Maria Brumann and Renee Francisco’s 35 points, took the Class C diadem with a 150, two points ahead over Aguinaldo, with Ruby Hamis claiming the individual plum with 43 points. Canlubang wound up third with a 136.