Wang coasts to 4-shot win; Guioguio prevails

One year after he blew it via disqualification, Wang Jeung Hun captured the WWWExpress-DHL National Golf Championships crown in emphatic fashion, winning by four shots over Clyde Mondilla with a six-under 66 at Cangolf’s north course, Friday.
Wang closed out the way he started the 72-hole event – on a bogey-free stint – underscoring his top form and seriousness to win the crown he lost to Jhonnel Ababa last year due to infraction.
This time, he played a near-flawless game all week, making just three bogeys over four days when all the others kept on dropping shots on a course that played a little bit friendly in the absence of the wind.
He wound up with an impressive 18-under 270 total, from a pair of 66s and 69s, completing his mastery of the field and the layout where he also reigned as the Canlubang Am Open champion late last year.
Mondilla also shot a 66, a solid round he spiked with an eagle on the par-5 14th. Four shots behind Wang at the start of the final round, the reigning national champion dropped a shot farther back at the turn but strung up three straight birdies from No. 10 to move within two.
But Wang hung on while Mondilla failed to sustain his fightback and bogeyed No. 13. He closed to within two again after that eagle on the next hole which Wang birdied, but the Filipino challenger stumbled with another bogey on the par-3 15th to fall behind by three again.
Wang then birdied the next two to pull away for good with Mondilla holing out with a birdie for his own version of a 66 and a 274.
Lovelynn Guioguio bogeyed the last two holes for a 73 but still pulled off a two-stroke victory over Andie Unson in the ladies side of the tournament sponsored by WWWExpress and DHL headed by chair Rod V. Feliciano and conducted by the National Golf Association of the Phils.
Guioguio assembled a 216 over 54 holes, holding off ICTSI teammate Unson, who fell short of her bid to add the title to her The Country Club low amateur plum two weeks ago. Unson shot a 71 and finished with a 218.
Chihiro Ikeda, winner of the last three editions of the event hosted by Cangolf, failed to get her game going and struggled to finish third at 219 after a 75.
Sarah Ababa, the erstwhile pursuer, ballooned to a 77 and tumbled down to fourth at 221 while Jayvie Agojo placed fifth with a 222 after a 72.
Reigning national champion Irina Gabasa wound up sixth with a 223 after a 72 followed by Kim Bo Ah, who skied to a 78 and a 226, and Daniela Uy and Dottie Ardina, who both had a 228 after a 75 and 77, respectively.
Meanwhile, the Phl squad of Miguel Tabuena, Jerson Balabas and Jobim Carlos pooled a 214 and won the third RVF Southeast Asian Cup men's team crown with a 420, beating the Wang-led Korea, which had a 422 after a 219 while Singapore placed third with a 436 after a 225.
Jobim Carlos, whom Wang beat to claim the Cangolf Am plum, rallied with a 68 and salvaged third place with a 280 while Zanieboy Gialon matched par 72 and settled for fourth at 282.
Gregory Foo shot a 69 to snatch fifth place at 285 while Dino Villanueva and Jerson Balasabas finished tied for sixth at 286 after a pair of 71s.
Dante Becierra and Carl Ocampo of the ICTSI-The Country Club shared eighth place at 288 after a 71 and 76, respectively, while Miguel Tabuena, the Asian Games silver medalist, carded a 75 and wound up tied for 10th with Keane Jahns, who had a 73, at 289.(pr)

Wang keeps 4-shot lead; Guioguio up

Wang Jeung Hun fended off Clyde Mondilla's charge and matched the reigning national champion's three-under par 69 card Thursday, keeping his four-shot lead intact for a clear shot at the WWWExpress-DHL National Golf Championships crown at Canlubang's north course.
Like in the previous rounds, Wang played solid golf under ideal condition, setting up birdie chances with superb iron game and then sinking most of them with steady putting that put him way ahead of the field.
He made five birdies, including two at the back that negated his two late bogeys on Nos. 15 and 17, his second 69 giving him a 12-under 204 total and 18 holes away from claiming the crown he lost when he was disqualified in the final round last year.
Mondilla tried to press his bid with back-to-back birdies from No. 4 but reeled back with a bogey on No. 7. He birdied two of the next three holes but failed to get any closer when he flubbed a short birdie putt on No. 17 which Wang, spearhead of a crack Riviera squad, bogeyed.
Worse, Mondilla, playing out of Del Monte, overshot the 18th green and missed another short putt for par, settling for a 69 and a 208.
Zanie Boy Gialon bounced back from a 73 with a 70 but the ICTSI-The Country Club bet, who trailed Wang by just one in the first round, stood too far at 210, six strokes adrift, and would need a low round to at least earn a shot at the crown in the 16th staging of the annual event sponsored by WWWExpress and DHL headed by chair Rod V. Feliciano.
But a three-way battle for the ladies title loomed as Lovelynn Guioguio surged ahead with a 143 after a one-under 71, wresting a one-stroke lead over first round leader Sarah Ababa and a charging three-time defending champion Chihiro Ikeda heading into the final round of the 54-hole tournament hosted by Cangolf.
Meanwhile, the Phl squad of Miguel Tabuena, Jerson Balabas and Jobim Carlos pooled a 214 and won the third RVF Southeast Asian Cup men's team crown with a 420, beating the Wang-led Korea, which had a 422 after a 219 while Singapore placed third with a 436 after a 225.
Guioguio, chasing her first big crown in years, sizzled with four birdies against a bogey at the front but dropped three strokes in the last four holes, including a double-bogey mishap on the par-3 15th, for that 71.
Ababa, who showed up the fancied bets with a 70 in the first round, faltered with two 37s and limped with a 74, dropping to second with a 144, the same output put in by Ikeda, who matched Guioguio's one-under card.
Ikeda, eyeing a fourth straight championship in the event organized and conducted by the National Golf Association of the Phils., birdied the first two holes on each nine but had three bogeys and settled for a 71.
Andie Unson matched par 72 but stood four strokes off at 147 while Kim Bo Ah had a 148 after a 72 and Kim Hui Mang and Jayvie Agojo at 150 after a 74 and 76, respectively.
Reigning national champion Irina Gabasa and Dottie Ardina hobbled with 76 and 79, respectively, and were too far off at 151.
Carlos also lay way behind in the men's side despite a 69 as he totaled a 212 for joint fourth with Carl Ocampo, who had a 72, while Tabuena fumbled with a 73 for a 214, 10 shots off Wang.(pr)

Barons itching for Seniors’ redemption

CANLUBANG is gearing up for a tough Seniors battle in the coming Philippine Airlines Interclub in Northern Mindanao as the Sugar Barons aim to reclaim the crown they lost to Luisita in the final day last year in Negros.

“We have basically the same lineup but we aim to finish strong this time,” stalwart Luigi Yulo said, minutes before going out for practice at Cangolf’s South course yesterday. “They (Luisitans) got us last year and we want to improve on that.”

Starring Francis Gaston, Luisita came from behind in the final day at Marapara to nip the Sugar Barons and win its 14th Senior title, the most by any team in the rich history of the Interclub.

Tommy Manotoc, the ageless wonder who has spearheaded Cangolf in many Interclub wars counting glorious Men’s stints, will again be at the forefront of the Sugar Barons’ charge at both the Del Monte and Pueble de Oro courses.

The 61-year-old many-time Philippine team member and now National Golf Association of the Philippines director has not slowed down a bit and is itching to put the elder Barons in the hunt once again in Bukidnon and Cagayan de Oro.

Senior play takes the lid off of the 64th running of the country’s most prestigious amateur team event on Feb. 17 and the Barons are bracing up for another down-the-wire showdown with the Luisitans.

Former Asia-Pacific champion Iggy Clavecilla, sophomore Herminio Maravilla and Philippine Sports Commission chair Richie Garcia will continue to be the foundations of the Luisita charge.

No other team is expected to crash the Luisita-Canlubang party in Mindanao with the Barons to welcome back World Amateur veteran Dave Hernandez, former Philippine Amateur champ Rolly Viray and Jose Mari Hechanova.

Senior play will have four players seeing action with the top three scores counting in the team event. Players who play in both courses will be eligible for the individual championship.

This year’s competition is backed by platinum sponsors Boeing, Airbus, Radio Mindanao Network, Business Mirror and Interactive Broadcast Media (DWWW).

Major sponsors are People Asia, 105.1 Crossover , GE Aviation and Traversing the Orient.

Also lending support are corporate sponsor Manila Bulletin and Bombo Radyo Philippines, while minor sponsors are Lufthansa TechnikPhilippines, MasterCard and Century Park Hotel.

Prize donors include Panasonic Avionics and Tanduay. More detailed information on the tournament is available on the dedicated PAL Interclub webpage at www.philippineairlines.com/events/events.jsp.(pr)

Wang sustains form, pulls away by 4 with 69

Wang Jeung Hun slowed down with a three-under 69 but raced away by four strokes over reigning national champion Clyde Mondilla, threatening to blow away the field in the WWWExpress-DHL National Golf Championships at Canlubang's north course in Laguna, Wednesday.
Wang, whose bogey-free 66 put him in command Tuesday, stayed in control under ideal playing condition, knocking down four birdies against his first bogey in 36 holes on No. 11, giving him a 36-hole haul of nine-under 135 and a big cushion in his bid to win the crown he lost via disqualification last year.
He stood four shots ahead of Mondilla, who took over the challenger’s role after erstwhile pursuers Zanieboy Gialon and fellow Korean and Riviera teammate Cho Dae Hyung tumbled down with mediocre scores despite the absence of the dreaded wind.
Mondilla spiked his four-under 68 with an eagle-3 on No. 14 and added three birdies that more than made up for his lone bogey mishap on the par-3 No. 11.
With a 139 aggregate, the Del Monte bet, trying to end a series of so-so finishes in the last few months, moved into contention to add the WWWExpress-DHL title to the national crown he won at home last year.
Carl Ocampo, the Fil-Am bet from the ICTSI-The Country Club stable, shot the day’s best round of five-under 67 he capped with a stirring six-under 30 at the front on his homeward trip.
From joint 13th before the round, Ocampo jumped to a share of third with Gialon and Cho at 140 with 36 holes remaining in the 16th staging of the event sponsored by WWWExpress and DHL.
Gialon wavered with a 73 after an impressive 67 while Cho settled for two 36s for a 72 after a 68.
Miguel Tabuena missed matching Ocampo’s 67 as he flubbed a short birdie putt on No. 9, settling for a 68 although he moved up to joint sixth with Aristeo Mata, who had a 71, at 141.
Meanwhile, Sarah Ababa turned in the lone under round of 70 to wrest a two-shot lead over ICTSI teammates Dottie Ardina and Lovelynn Guioguio at the start of the 54-hole ladies championship conducted by the National Golf Association of the Phils.
Defending three-time champion Chihiro Ikeda, chasing her third title early in the season after topping the Philippine Ladies Open and the Southern Ladies, stayed within striking distance with a 73 while Jayvie Agojo stood in fifth with a 74.
Apple Fudolyn carded a 75 to fall in a three-way tie for sixth with reigning national champion Irina Gabasa and Andie Unson, the low amateur in the recent The Country Club Invitational.
In team competition, also known as the RVF Southeast Asian Cup, the Philippine team of Tabuena, Jerson Balasabas and Jobim Carlos combined for a 137 for a 281 to seize a one-stroke lead over South Korea heading in the final 18 holes.
While Wang, playing out of Riviera, sustained his form, teammates Hwang Kang Youl and Yeom Seo Hyun floundered as they fumbled with a 144 and slid to second with a 282.
Singapore remained in far third with a 293 after a 144.(pr)

Wang shows way with flawless 66

Riviera's Wang Jeung Hun outshot Asian Games silver medalist Miguel Tabuena in an early clash of the fancied bets, firing a bogey-free 66 and posting a one-stroke lead over Zanieboy Gialon at the start of the the WWWExpress-DHL National Golf Championships at Canlubang's north course in Laguna, Tuesday.
Wang, out to redeem himself from last year's final round infraction that cost him the championship here, hit two birdies at the front then drained four more at the back, including back-to-back from No. 16, for a 34-32 card on a nearly wind-less but hot and humid day.
That put the 16-year-old Wang, seeking a second straight championship here after ruling the Canlubang Am Open last year, on top of a strong field that includes the country's leading amateurs and a number of international players.
Gialon, one of the most promising players from the ICTSI-The Country Club squad, turned in the most impressive start of three straight birdies, added another one on No. 9 then knocked down two more birdies on Nos. 16 and 17 to negate a missed-green bogey mishap on No. 15. He had a 32 and 35.
Cho Dae Hyung, Wang's teammate at Riviera, launched his title bid at the backside of the par-72 layout, gunning down three birdies against a bogey then matched Gialon's three-birdie feat from No. 1 against another bogey on No. 5 for a 68, two shots off his fellow South Korean.
Tabuena, tipped as one of the players to beat in the four-day championship sponsored by WWWExpress and DHL, birdied the opening hole but had a rollercoaster round after dropping a shot on No. 5. He made a double-bogey on the par-3 No. 6, hit birdies on Nos. 11, 14 and 15 but reeled back with back-to-back bogeys on Nos. 14 and 15. He wound up with a 73 and fell to joint 13th with six others.
Earlier, WWWExpress and DHL chair Rod V. Feliciano; Joe Feliciano, president of WWWExpress, Cangolf chief Luigi Yulo and DHL officials Duncan Gates, Anthony Latham and Gerric Martinez, hit the ceremonial drive to kick off the 16th staging of the event organized and conducted by the National Golf Association of the Phils and hosted by Cangolf.
Meanwhile, Korea, bannered by the Riviera group of Wang, Hwang Kang Youl and Yeom Seo Hyun, paced the third RVF Cup or the 54-hole team championship, pooling a 138 for a six-shot lead over the Phl's Tabuena, Balasabas and Jobim Carlos, who assembled a 144. Singapore groped for form with a 149 total.
Unheralded Aristeo Mata, playing out of Aguinaldo, bucked a double-bogey mishap on No. 4 and finished with a 35-35 round, highlighted by three straight birdies from No. 14 to put himself in early contention with a 70 in a tie with top ICTSI-TCC bet Dante Becierra.
The former Hong Kong Open Am champion, out to check a long skid, mixed three birdies with one bogey at the front then parred the rest of the holes for a 34-36 while four players churned out 71 scores, including reigning national champion Clyde Mondilla.
Other one-under par scorers were Dino Villanueva, Korean Jung Han Min and last year's runner-up Jerson Balasabas while Art Arbole. Yeom Seo Hyun and Yemo Ka Hyun matched par 72s.
Joining Tabuena in the 73 group were Carl Ocampo, Park Gyu-ha, Hwang, Agustin Mata, Dave Hernandez and Singapore's Gregory Foo.(PR)

Fiery Dabawenya rallies with 59 pts, wins by 4

Dabawenya Chihiro Ikeda fought back from four points down then sizzled with a birdie-binge at the backside to beat Jayvie Agojo by four points on a closing 59 and capture the Southern Ladies golf crown at the Bacolod Golf and Country Club, Saturday.
Ikeda cashed in on a three-shot swing on No. 10 to draw level, pounced on a three-putt bogey miscue by Agojo on No. 14 to seize control then drained three straight birdies from No. 15 to post the unexpected runaway victory.
The spearhead of the ICTSI golf squad closed out with 167 Molave points, including 53 and 55 in the first two rounds, adding the Southern Ladies title to her Philippine Ladies Open romp last month where she beat Dottie Ardina by six strokes at The Country Club.
Agojo, primed up for a big win from a long layoff after posting a four-point lead over Ikeda heading into the final round, kept a three-point lead after nine holes but blew it all when she nearly drove out of bounds on No. 10 and wound up with a double bogey.
She limped home with 51 points and a 163 in the three-day tournament organized and conducted by the National Golf Association of the Phils. and sponsored by the Philippine Sports Commission, Kaiser International, Directories Phils. Corp (DPC) Yellow Pages, Hans Brumann Jeweler, WWWExpress, DHL Express and Business Inn, the official hotel.
“I just played my game and stayed relaxed despite down by four points,” said Ikeda, who birdied No. 10 from 20 feet and whose sizzling 59-point output was four-under 66 in stroke play. “I didn’t think I was behind and it’s a good think that my short game and putting clicked.”
So solid was Ikeda’s iron game and putting at the back, needing just five putts in the last four holes, three of which she birdied from superb approach shots.
The win was Ikeda’s second major early in the season and it somehow atoned for her missed cut stint in last week’s TCC Invitational with Andie Unson taking the low amateur honors over Agojo.
“Ikeda showed resiliency and composure in her victory. She knew she can come back no matter how big the deficit is,” said ICTSI coach and national women’s team coach Bong Lopez. “I just hope she continues to improve and polish her putting stroke.”
Unson placed third with a 162 after a 55 or one-under 69 while Sarah Ababa also shot 55 points and took fourth place with a 158.
Dottie Ardina, who edged Ikeda by one to win the crown in Iloilo last year, hobbled with 49 points for a 155.
Ikeda also led Agojo, Unson and Ardina to the team championship with 226 PAL Stableford points, beating Del Monte (229) and Bacolod (242).
The other division winners were Arianne Salvador of Valley Golf (Class A-137 points), Lilibeth De Villa of Tagaytay Highlands (Class B-104 points), Leni Cabili of Aguinaldo (Class C-104 points), Sol Antonio of Villamor (Class D-83 points) and Sonnie Montelibano of Bacolod (seniors-83 points).PR

Wide-open Men’s Interclub race seen

For probably the first time in its rich history, the Philippine Airlines Interclub’s Men’s championship event promises to have a wide-open fight after the new handicapping system was implemented for the 64th edition of the country’s longest running and most prestigious amateur golf team event.

Talents that used to play for just one or two teams have now been evenly spread, making it anybody’s race when the Men’s event tees off Feb. 23 at the Pueblo de Oro layout in Cagayan de Oro and the Del Monte course in Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon.

Canlubang is the defending champion in the event, but the Sugar Barons will have their work cut out for them after losing their nucleus to the pro ranks and World Amateur veteran Jessie Balasabas to the handicapping system.

Each team will now be required to form a 10-man squad with an overall handicap rating of 62, meaning that each player should carry a handicap of 6.2 according to their PAL Interclub stints.

Should a rookie see action, his home course handicap will be used.

Balasabas, owing to a good showing last year in the Sugar Barons’ fifth straight conquest in Negros, has a near-scratch PAL average, forcing Canlubang to look for other players in order to fit in the new system.

The Country Club, the second placer in each of the last two years, will field in practically the same lineup after some of its players posted high scores last year at the Marapara and Binitin courses in Negros.

Del Monte will have reigning Philippine Amateur champion Clyde Mondilla backstopping its squad as it aims to win its second Men’s title in its home turf, the same way it did in 2004 when the Interclub first visited Northern Mindanao.

The event actually gets going with the Seniors championship on Feb. 16 where PAL president Jaime Bautista will hit the ceremonial drive.

Luisita is the defending champion and it aims to hold off perennial contender Canlubang and the ageless Tommy Manotoc from wresting back the crown the Barons last won in Davao.

This year’s competition is backed by platinum sponsors Boeing, Radio Mindanao Network, Business Mirror and Interactive Broadcast Media (DWWW).

Major sponsors are People Asia, 105.1 Crossover , GE Aviation and Traversing the Orient.

Also lending support are corporate sponsor Manila Bulletin and Bombo Radyo Philippines, while minor sponsors are Lufthansa Technik Philippines, MasterCard and Century Park Hotel.

Prize donors include Panasonic Avionics and Tanduay. More detailed information on the tournament is available on the dedicated PAL Interclub webpage at www.philippineairlines.com/events/events.jsp.(PR)