Jun Plana flashed top form and shot a two-under 70 as he poised for a title repeat in the men’s overall championship even as Raul Magpantay carded a 73 to wrest control in Seniors play of the Chairman’s Charity Cup at the Legends and Masters courses of the Manila Southwoods in Carmona, Cavite.
Plana, who anchored Southwoods’ title romp in the recent Fil-Am Invitational in Baguio, posted a gross 38-point output under the Individual Net Stableford scoring format, three points clear of Anthony See, who seized the early lead with 35 points from a gross 73 Friday while Justin Tambunting turned in a 74 worth 34 points for third.
Magpantay’s gross 73 also netted him the Seniors overall lead with 35 points, dislodging erstwhile leader Renie Floro, who had 33 points from a gross 75, which Thirdy Escano matched for joint second.
Reese Ng, meanwhile, turned in a gross 72 worth 36 points as she threatened to dominate the ladies division with Kristine Sison a distant second with 24 points from an 84 and Aimee Lee and Alice Liang tied at 23 points after an 87 and 85, respectively, at completion of first day play of the two-day tournament supported by Platinum sponsors The Turf Company, Inc., Agrexplore Corp., Malveda Properties & Development Corp., Starlux Airlines Co. Ltd., Newport World Resorts, Mit-Air, Inc., Klio International Marketing Corp. and HBW Enterprises Co.
Ng also took command in Ladies I category of the event backed by hole-in-one sponsors Mitsubishi Motors, Gran Sportivo, Newport World Resorts, Srixon and the Royal Caribbean and Baron Travel while Alice Liang shot an 85 worth 38 points for the Ladies II lead with Stephanie Yap in second with 37 points from an 88.
Kristine Sison and Maritess Castillo matched 42 points from 84 and 86, respectively, for joint lead in Ladies III with Maribelle Yap a point behind with 41 from an 89.
Jay Escuadro, on the other hand, shot a gross 76 for a net 68 as he tied Judson Eustaquio in the lead in the Sponsors/Guests division played under the System 36 with five players, including Dennis Gonzales (76), Miguel de Asis (77), Raymund Bunquin (77), Ryu Suzuki (78) and John Laurel (84) matching net 70s.
Magpantay, with 41 points, also led Escano, who had 39 points, in Seniors I with Enrico del Rosario and former Senate Pres. Tito Sotto tied at 38 points from gross 78s, while Fred dela Cruz charged to the top of Seniors II with 42 points from a gross 77, two points ahead of Hector Villanueva, who carded a gross 83 worth 40 points.
Gus Molina grabbed the Seniors III lead with 42 points from a gross 84, but Arnold Clavio and Gil Domingo stayed in the hunt with identical 40 points from 81 and 83, respectively, while Felix Cortez and Manolo Agojo shared the Seniors IV lead with 44 points from 89 and 88, respectively.
In men’s play, Nolan Enriquez took the Division I lead with 41 points from a 78; Paul Mo led Division II with 42 points from an 80; Anthony Cortez paced Division III with 44 points from a 78; and Shambu Kumaran, Jojo Lee and Rolando Tolores braced for a wild finish in Division IV by matching 41 points from 88, 92 and 94, respectively.