Suzuki-Taguchi, Tambunting-Escalona pairs pace field in Southwoods Invitational

MANILA, Philippines – The Shinichi Suzuki-Teruhisa Taguchi and Justin Tambunting-Eric Escalona tandems posted 82s to share the overall gross lead even as the battle for the overall net crown headed to a wild finish with 10 teams matching 96s in the second day of the Southwoods Invitational at the Masters and Legends courses in Carmona, Cavite Thursday.

The Shinichi-Teruhisa and the Tambunting-Escalona pairs took a two-point lead over the teams of Gen. Alex Ignacio-Edwin Sanchez and Marvin Caparros-Stephen King Stehmeier, who came through with identical 80s in Best Ball play at the Masters. 

Meanwhile, John Molina and Regis Casquejo, and Brixton Aw and Raymond Co, who matched 76s, are out to press their respective bids when action shifts to the Legends for the Aggregate format.

But focus is on the overall net race as 10 pairs, headed by Molina-Casquejo and Renie Floro and Kazuo Murakami, scored 96 points each, also in four-ball at the Masters. They include John Cope and Iain Mcglen, Arsenic Villanueva and Diosdado Bautista, Bobby Iñigo and Venzon Paz, Inigo Golingay Jr. and Rolando Rabutin, Karlo Miguel and Juan Carlos Reyes, John Lopez and Kenney Tee, Gus Molina and Luis Rey Velasco, and Adrian Tan and James Lim.

For their part, the Molina-Casquelo, and Floro-Murakami duos likewise tied for the Division I lead, two points ahead of Ryan Abdon and Wally Barzaga, while Marc Naval and Miguel de Asis stayed on top of Division II with 84 points, spiked by Naval’s ace at the Legends Wednesday.

But Pablo Olivarez and Roberto Ronin Leviste stalked them with 83 Aggregate points while Julienne Guintu and Samuel Gan Nasis took the third spot with 80 points as the battle moves to the Masters under the Best Ball format of the member-guest team event backed by year-round sponsor Royal Caribbean/Baron Travel, hole-in-one sponsors Ogawa, Alpine Motors Philippines, Toyota Silang, Pagcor Casino Filipino and Klio International.

Two teams, meanwhile, took charge with in Division III with identical 84 points in hot conditions at the Legends, including Richard Chua and Fernando Lim, and Dennis Chan and Ariel Ong, while the pairs of Cope-Mcglen, Villanueva-Bautista, Inigo-Paz, Golingay Jr.-Rabutin, and Molina-Velasco’s 96 points tied them for the Division IV lead after Day 2 of the four-day tournament.

Miguel and Reyes, Lopez and Tee, Tan and Lim, and Willy Tee Ten and Fritz Jerrold Lacap, and Robert Tan and Ronald Bairan paced Division V with their 96 points.

Melchor Bacsa and Alexander Festejo, meanwhile, combined for 84 points at Legends to get past Anthony See and Christopher Ilagan, who scored 81 points, and wrest the lead in the Sponsor/Guest division with Gerwin Chan and Jon Baron, and Eimie Hedeager and Sarah Cruz producing identical 80 points.

Backing the annual event are (Platinum sponsors) The Turf Company, Inc., CWC International Corp. and Newport World Resorts; (gold) Agrexplore Corp., Alpha Quality (GFX) Leads Agriculture/Malveda Properties Development Corp., Mikro-Tech Capital, Inc./Capital One Energy, Inc., The Manor and The Forest Lodge at Camp John Hay; and (silver) Abomar Equipment Sales Corp., Club Leisure Management Corp., First Global Conglomerate, Camaya Coast, Le Chef, Inc., Mit-Air, Inc. and Prestige Golf Access & Clubshares, Inc..

Making up the bronze sponsors list are Absolute Sales Corp., Ayala Land Premier, Boeing Material Handling Corp., Camp John Hay Golf Club, Castillo Laman Tan Pantaleon & San Jose Law Offices, Coca-Cola Beverages Phil., Escala Tagaytay, Federal Management & Maintenance, Inc., Forest Hills Golf and Country Club, Gamboa & Sons, Inc. (GranSportivo), GG&A Clubshares, G&W Clubshares, Golforce, Inc., GolfX; Hydrotech Irrigation and General Services, Mitsukoshi Motors Phils., Inc., MRT Dev’t. Corp., Nozomi Providers, Inc., RFM Corp., PBR Law Offices, PNOEZ Golf Accessories Shop (Southwoods Clubfitter), Smart Probe, Inc., Sojitz Fuso Philippines Corp., Suijin Restaurant, TimeCargo Logistics Corp., Triframe, Inc. and Warbird Securities.