Golf: Canlubang finds groove late for back-to-back PAL Interclub titles

Davao City - The Canlubang Sugar Barons surged in the last nine holes of the final round to complete a come-from-behind victory over its fancied rival Luisita Sweeties and a back-to-back success at the close of the 65th Philippine Airlines (PAL) Interclub seniors competition at the Apo Golf Club.   Trailing by less than 10 points at the turn, the Sugar Barons, namely Tommy Manotoc and skipper Tony Olives, caught fire, as they finished with 53 and 46 respectively. With  the 45 of Rolly Viray, Canlubang surged ahead to a 72-hole aggregate of 571, three ahead from Luisita’s 568.   Cebu Country Club (146-566), Alta Vista (120-525) and Camp John Hay (122-513) completed the top five.                  This week’s title of the Sugar Barons was their sixth overall in the championship division in the tournament which started in 1987.  They’ll head to host city Cebu in 2013 when the Interclub returns to the Queen City of the South, in four different courses, with the aim of getting a three-peat.                 It was a sorry loss for the Tarlac-based Luisita, which fielded in basically the same core of players, plus new recruit Seve Roxas-Chua.  However, its big guns, Iggy Clavecilla, Francis Gaston and PAL flight purser Pepot Iñigo, turned in sub-par games, which led to their downfall in the finale.                 The usually steady Clavecilla crumpled, coming up with an 11-over-par 83, good for only 43 Molave points, his worst score ever in his nine-year stint in the PAL Interclub and worst at the Apo Golf Club.  Gaston’s 44 was already tops for Luisita, while Rudy Amata added a 42 in the four-to-play, three-to-count format.                 “I could not get my game going.  We’ll just have to live through this and get our revenge in Cebu.  We’ll give them a better fight there,” Clavecilla, who in jest, said that he and his teammates will live in Cebu early, in preparation for the senior wars next year.                 The dependable Iñigo, who was paired with Manotoc in the last flight, was not in his element in the final six holes, where he showed traces of pressure.  In fact, on the par-five no. 13, he three-putted from about four feet for a pick-up X on his score card.  From there, he lost his confidence.                 “When you come in at Apo with a bad game, it will show.  That’s what happened to me,” Iñigo said.                 Over at the Rancho Palos Verdes Golf and Country Club, Manila Golf collected 125 points for a total of 524, as it squeaked past Apo (141-523) for the Founders Division tiara. - AMD, GMA News                 Day 4 Scores   Championship – Canlubang 571 (135-145-147-144), Luisita 568 (147-149-143-129), Cebu Country Club 566 (141-141-138-146), Alta Vista 525 (130-143-132-120), Camp John Hay 513 (124-133-134-122), Orchard 506 (128-134-121-123), Pueblo De Oro 481 (116-129-116-120), Philsaga 478 (127-117-116-118), BCC 446 (102-116-112-116), Pinoy Vancouver 425 (111-105-122-87), ), Fil-Am New Jersey 357 (68-64-121-104), Filcansa 355 (92-99-69-95), Bay City 329 (74-108-63-84), Fil-Oz Sydney 316 (58-79-76-93), IAGC 304 (72-74-80-78), Samahan YVR 272 (76-65-80-51), Mercedes Plantation 258 (77-39-82-60), Australasian 270 (107-70-93 Moffet Fields 235 (93-51-91), SFO Heritage 187 (63-24-100), Bennet Valley 177 (63-60-54)   Founders – Manila Golf 524 (128-144-127-125), Apo 523 (142-117-123-141), Eagle Ridge 515 (129-136-123-127), Riviera 509 (126-132-131-120), Villamor 508 (125-126-124-133), Palos Verdes 508 (129-123-129-127), Valley 494 (115-124-135-120), Phil Navy 484 (134-122-114-124), Del Monte 483 (122-120-120-121), Camp Evangelista 480 (124-125-118-113), Negros 476 (120-117-120-119), Manila Southwoods 468 (114-118-109-127), Wack Wack 459 (114-104-116-125), Red Hawk 445 (121-127-89-108), Coral 445 (117-114-111-103), Mactan 439 (130-92-108-109), San Juanico 329 (113-123-93), Bayanihan 272 (98-86-88), Birdie Hunters 169 (81-88-DQ)