Baguio City—After missing a year of the biggest and longest-running amateur golf event, many-time champion Manila Southwoods appears mightier as it is turning the premier Fil-Championship into a solo performance, thanks to another big performance of its five players at the shorter but trickier Baguio Country Club in the penultimate round today on Thursday.
Josh Jorge had 30, backed by the 29, 28 and 27 outputs from Masaichi Otake, Sean Ramos and Ryan Monsalve, respectively, as the Carmona, Cavite based team tallied 114 points for a three-day total of 382 and a 31 lead on Luisita Golf and Country Club. Lance Uy, after a team best 37 on day two did not count with 26.
It was a rally that came short for the Tarlac team as it only produced 104 points on the 27s of Joaquin Hernandez, Gabriel Manotoc and Andres Lorenzo, who finally counted after so-so performances at the longer and easier Camp John Hay golf course the first two days and a 23 from Jed Dy. Leandro Bagtas did not count with his 22.
“I told the boys to just play their games tomorrow and not mind the scores,” said Southwoods skipper Thirdy Escano.
Luisita team captain Jerich Hechanova earlier said that all the boys need their Southwoods opponent by at least three points the next two days. However, only Manotoc won over his flightmate, Uy, 27-26, while the rest came up short.
Time Cargo moved down to second spot after 94 for 320 points on the pair of 26s from Junjun Plana and Joseph Tambunting, Gary Sales and Ruel Cabral added 25 and 17, respectively for the team.
X1R Mizuno fell to third spot with 315 after and 89on the 24 of Gabriel Macalagum, the 23 of Brixton Aw, 22 of Ace Stehmeier and 22 of Antonio Arce.
“We did not expect to take the lead, the course played hard today,” said Bunquin, Forest Hills captain, after they surged to the first spot after starting out third and 13 off Time Cargo.
“We will still go for good scores on the last day tomorrow,” added Bunquin, who was the first to socre a course record at CJH with six under 63 when it re-opened in 1998 under the Camp John Hay Development Corporation and after years under American management.