Golf: Batangas Barakos overtakes Mizuno Superstars

BAGUIO — Batangas Barakos moved into pole position in the Am Championship division, carding 110 points at the Camp John Hay Golf Club in the 64th San Miguel Men’s Golf Invitational, taking a three-point lead off Mizuno Superstars at the midway point.
                
Gerald Katigbak was hot despite the cold weather and shot a team-high 35 for the Barakos.  As he holed out, teammates Rody Amata, Jun Arceo and Batangas Representative Mark Mendoza added 30, 23 and 22 for that 110 and 227 aggregate.
                
“We are happy to be in contention.  Different people stepped up in two rounds at John Hay and we expect others to perform [at] their A-game at the demanding course of Baguio Country Club, where iron play will be the key,” said Barakos spokesman Arceo.

Overnight leader Mizuno Superstars slowed down with 105 for 224 to stay within striking distance. Tonito Payumo had 30 with Denden de Castro and Bones Floro pouring in 27s.  The 21 of either Raymond Bunquin or Joaquin Tolentino counted.
                
“We did not play bad but we did not play spectacular either. We’ll just have to push and score more in the third round at the Baguio Country Club.  It is going to be a down-the-wire finish the way things are going,” said playing Mizuno manager Lovell Gopez.
                
Che’Lus jumped to a share of third place with Northwoods Pacsports on 223.
                
Mike Castro was superb with his 32, a four-over equivalent in stroke play, Ed Castro fired a 29, Ray Blas accounted for 28 and Robert Manalo contributed 25 for 114.  Jacky Barfield’s 24 was disregarded in the five-to-play, four-to-count format.
                
Northwoods Pacsports was paced by the 30 of Nicholas Santiano plus the 27 of Richard Joson, and 26’s of Dennis Gonzales and Von Sarmiento for a 109 total.
                
Others in the Am Championship were Camp Aguinaldo (115-217), Forest Hills (98-203), Villa Cacho (93-193) and Dugong Bughaw (95-190).

Che’Lus’ Castro, meanwhile, was at the forefront of the individual race with 66 points.  He was followed by Villa Cacho’s Jeff Bernaldez and Mizuno Superstar’s Payumo with 65 each.  Barako Katigbak and Camp Aguinaldo ’s Ricky delos Santos were on fifth with 61s.

Baguio Country Club maintained leadership in the Fil-A division by shooting 100 Molave points at the Camp John Hay Golf Club but the Eagle Masters I were hot on its trail after the third round.
            
Ely Lagman paced with 31, Bong Mandapat backed up with 28, Goodie Ignacio put in 26 and Jay Co added 15 for BCC, whose overnight lead of eight was trimmed down to four by the Eagle Masters I.
            
Roderick Lo relied on his accurate iron shots to score 32 markers for the Eagle Masters I which now had a 306 total after a assembling a 104 at CJH.  Other scorers for the squad were Noe Taojo 26, and Randy Cadiogan and Lito Dublan with 23s.
            
Team Surigao I was two shots adrift on 304.  Don Petil’s 32, Ramon Capistrano’s 25, Paul Genito’s 25 and John Bertis’ 22 resulted in the team’s 104 output.
            
Rural Bankers I (104-299), Baguio City (107-293), Mamala Bay (94-266), Subic Gas (85-264) and Team Gasat, mostly servicemen from the US Army, were on last place with 86-229.

In the Am-A division, Isabela Golf Club (86-304) were in a neck-to-neck battle with Batch’92 (91-299) and Mizuno All Stars (93-291) for the crown with one round left in the event sponsored by San Miguel and presented by Toyota.
                  
Meanwhile, action in the premier Fil Championship of the San Miguel Fil-Am Men’s Invitational golf tournament shifts to the Camp John Hay Golf Club on Friday, December 6 with Mizuno vowing to pour it all out in the third round in a bid to avoid going through a pressure-packed finish.

“We have to shoot big numbers and pad our lead. As much as possible we would like to cruise in the last day,” said King Stehmeier, skipper of the Mizuno Superstars, who seized control after two days at the nearby Baguio Country Club with a 242 aggregate from rounds of 123 and 119 Molave points.

That was seven points ahead of Team Sparta, which assumed the challenger’s role at 235 after last year’s winner Forest Hills sputtered in the second day at BCC with a paltry 103 output after putting in an impressive 122 start for a 225. - AMD, GMA News