BAGUIO CITY—Batangas Barakos slowed down at the Baguio Country Club course, where they shot a measly 97 points for a three-day total of 367 and a 27-point lead in Fil A, even as Manila Southwoods tries to move closer to the top podium when games resume in the premier Fil Championship at the same course in the 68th Department of Tourism Fil-Am Invitational Golf Tournament Friday.
The Barakos, who had a scoring splurge on Day 2 with a two-under and one-under scores, submitted 97 points for a 367 total and tow Team Surigao I (99-340) and San Miguel, which shot the flight-best 107 for a 337 total.
In Am A, Royal Northwoods made 115 points for 316 to break the tie with Tiyo Paeng, which scored a 112 and 313 total. Another three shot down is Alaska Royalink which shot a flight-best 119 and a 310 total.
Baguio’s Team II earned additional points to widen its lead to 20 in Fil D.
Bernard Capuyan made 25 points to pace the team’s 87 point production for a three-day total of 275, 20 off their nearest pursuer.
Noel Sebastian had 24, Richard Solang made 21, while Peter Go holed out with 18 points to count for the team and saw their 11-point advantage widen to 20.
Uragun Golf B assumed second spot after a 78 and a 255 total, four off Pacific Rim, which fired 73 points.
Bing Alcantara scored 26 points as Team Surigao made 89 for a 271 and the virtual championship in Am D as their lead ballooned to 36 points.
Cool Jocks made 74 and 235, while Uragun Golf A submitted 80 for 218 and third spot with a round remaining.
Meanwhile, the real battle begins now in the championship flight.
This is according to the youngest Manila Southwoods player in Joo Hyung Kim, the 15-year-old, who shot 39 on Day 2 and helped the team to an eye popping 11-under for 155 and 301 total and a four-point lead on first-round leader Forest Hills.
Forget John Hay, said the 15-year-old, who played for Luisita in 2015 when he was 13 years old.
“It was just really the beginning to get the momentum as we go to BCC,” he said.
“It will be tough. BCC is one tough course and we all know that. This is where the battle will take place.”
Veteran Junjun Plana knows too well the long history of Southwoods, which he joined in 1997 after The John Sobrepena-led group started the development of Camp John Hay. In 2007, down by 16 points after two rounds at CJH, Southwoods came back to wrest the title from Calatagan.
“The boys really played well,” said a proud Delariarte, the team’s non-playing captain of the very young team, with the exception of Plana.
Day 2 saw Southwoods in a stampede and churned in an eye popping 11 under for 155 points. Local pride Luigi Paolo Wong led the team’s outburst with his second four under worth 40 points. The 16-year-old actually quit formal schooling to concentrate on his golf that saw him join the national team which played in the Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia SouthEast Asian Game.
“Home schooling na lang po,” added Wong, who made five birdies and a single bogey on Day 2 in a course he is so familiar with.
BCC is also another home for this local pride, the first local to make it to the Fil Championship flight since Mars Pucay in the late 80s and early 90s.