Cebu dethrones Del Monte to bag 1st PAL Interclub title

DAVAO CITY—Cebu Country Club (CCC) captured its first championship division title Saturday when it dethroned Del Monte in the 65th Philippine Airlines (PAL) Interclub golf tournament held in Apo Golf Club's muddy fairways caused by heavy rains the night before. Gio Gandionco, Lloyd Go and Mark Dy each shot a two-over-par 74 at the Apo layout, for a combined 102 PAL points. Eric Deen added a 26 to check in as the fourth score in the five-to-play, four-to-count format that gave Cebu a closing 128 for 507. Del Monte charged in the first nine holes but was repulsed in the last nine. Clyde Mondilla made a 34, Jovanie Abaño carded a 33, and Mark Mondilla and Lawrence Cubillo contributed 31s for 127 and 499 total in 72 holes. With the victory, Cebu, thus, became only the second team from the Queen City of the South to rule the championship division. CCC will try to defend the title on home soil when it hosts next year's 66th edition. Club Filipino de Cebu won three titles in 1951, 1955 and 1959. Cebu, seven ahead heading to the finale, finally felt the pressure as Del Monte trimmed its lead to three after holed out on No. 8. But captain Ramontito Garcia, a veteran PAL Interclub campaigner, signalled to his boys whenever he can to not think of the score and just play their normal games. The ploy worked. "I believe that it will be hard to beat us in Cebu," said Garcia, also the CCC president, whose 24 was disregarded in the scoring column. Mario Sarmiento, Bayani Garcia, Carl Almario and Gen Nagai were the other CCC members.  Nagai, incidentally, won the individual award for shooting a 69, a 34 at Apo and 35 at the Rancho Palos Verdes course. Camp John Hay pooled in 111 markers for an ending 411 to beat Eagle Ridge, which collected 101 for a 388 aggregate. Ilagan (103-383) took home the second runner up honors in the sportswriters division. Bong Jin-ho top scored with 32 followed by Kim Hwa-rang's 30, Shean Bed'’s 25 and Ment Garcia's 24 for John Hay, which got its maiden success in the sportswriters division played at Palos Verdes. — JVP, GMA News