Baguio City—With Manila Southwoods going two for two in the 69th Fil Championship setting also records in Fil and Am Championship for the winning margin, this other team could be yet the most successful in the annual golfing event.
Team Surigao had the most titles in the tournament that drew some 1,380 players in two weeks of competition with three titles, three first runners-up finishes and one individual titlist.
“That is the idea, we want to win here,” said retired general Edgardo Acuna, chairman of the 57 strong Mindanao team, whose line up is as deep as the Philippine Trench near their province.
Team Surigao I had 432 and a 19 points victory in Fil-A, Team Surigao Omni Pharma took the Am B crown with 403, Team Surigao got its third title in Am C when it outshot overnight leader Mizuno Power Systems in the last round 82-67 for a 346 total and a six shot victory.
But they failed to get Waterlympics Clark denied Team Surigao a fourth crown after a fourth round 84 and 332 total, a two shot victory over the latter in Fil D.
Uragun Golf B also denied Team Surigao Magilas the Fil E crown after closing with 87 for 324 and a two shot win over the latter which closed with 78.
Batch 92 is the third team to stop Team Surigao by outperforming the latter in the last round 66-62 to win by three despite a two point penalty for the Am E crown.
Rene Estepa, meanwhile, of Team Surigao Magilas took the Group 7 individual plum.
The team was founded by Surigao congressman Robert Ace Barbers while serving his second term as congressman of Surigao del Norte.
“We joined and we won, so we keep coming back and getting bigger every year,” said Barbers after receiving their trophy for taking the Fil A crown and with a jingle played every time a Surigao team goes on stage – a total of seven times.
Last year, Surigao took four trophies in 12 flights including two titles. Team Surigao I took third place in a highly competitive Fil A, Barbers Surigao I got the championship trophy in Am D, while the Surigao Omni Pharma led a 1-2 finish in Fil E, with Surigao II as the runner-up.
Individual winners in the Fil-Am was led by Yuto Katsuragawa by winning the Group Championship with a four under 148 beating fellow Southwoods Carl Corpus.
The other winners are: Rodolfo Brobio of Forest Hills in Group 1 by beating Brixton Aw of Mizuno X-R1 by a point; Junel Soriano of Team Integral in Group 2; Norman Versosa of Silicon Valley Golfers Link in Group 4, Marc Cruz of Square and Compass of Nueva Ecija in Group 4.
Kenm Cauderna of Monterey in Group 5; Joao Miranda of Uragun Golf B in Group 6; Paterno Hernandez, Jr of Rural Bankers II in Group 8; and, Butoy Caligtong of Royal Northwoods – Rowdy Crowd in Group 9.”‹
