MANILA, Philippines – Carmela Lee and Edgardo Bitanga took the overall net plum while Ivan Ferreras and Sammy Sy rallied to capture the overall gross crown in the recent 20th staging of the Sta. Elena Cup member-guest tournament of the Sta. Elena Golf Club in Cabuyao, Laguna.
Lee, the reigning ladies club champion, played her handicap of 11 with steady rounds of 36-37 but Bitanga delivered the goods for his team with a 41-40 explosion for 81 points and a 154 total that gave them the top net award out of 275 teams which played in the five-day tourney presented by Omega, Lexus, Royal Caribbean/Baron Travel and Sta. Elena Properties.
Ferreras and Sy, meanwhile, made up for a sluggish first day score with a two-under 38 and one-under 37, respectively, in their second round to raise the low gross trophy. The other winners were Heng Hok See-Edward Francisco in Class A, Caesar Wongchuking-Daki Fonacier in Class B and Gerry Zorilla-Arnold Jumalon in Class C.
But the biggest winner of the event turned out to be Marco Olives, who was picked as the winner of the Lexus IS350 worth P2.598 million raffled off to all 540 participants of the competition.
The other sponsors of the Sta. Elena Cup were Jewelmer, Rimowa, Integrated Computer Systems, MAA General Assurance Philippines, Club Car, Turf Company, Glenlivet, Peerless (Champion,Fabricon, Hanna and Systema), Selecta Ice Cream and Philippine Tordjman Salon.
Individual awards went to Francisco and Ferreras for the best gross scores in the first and second rounds, respectively, Gerry Zorilla and Roland Quiambao for the best net scores for the first round and Romy Serrano for the second round.
See-Francisco chalked up 152 to beat first round leaders Tai Kuen Him and Park Jee by one, Wongchuking-Fonacier scored 150 to finish 12 points ahead of Graham and Guy Wilkes while Zorilla-Jumalon’s 146 was good for a one-point victory over Kas Jamias-Fernando Castro.