Davao City -- After a rough start in the first round, defending Founders Division champion Cebu Country Club (CCC) lived up to its billing as it zoomed to second place after Day 2 of the 70th Philippine Airlines (PAL) Interclub Regular Men’s Tournament here at the Apo Golf and Country Club Thursday, March 2.
CCC, which trailed at seventh spot in the opener Wednesday, suited well with the change of course with a better play as they fired 122 points, nine points better than the first round performance at the Rancho Palos Verdes Country Club.
CCC, a 10-time champion in the Pal Interclub, scored 235 points in two days. The Cebu-based golf club trimmed down the lead of Orchard Golf and Country Club to four points from 10 on the first round.
Orchard put up 116 on the second round after a dominating 123 output on Day 1. Riviera Golf was in third place with 233 (116, 117).
One of CCC veterans, Bayani Garcia, played steady for CCC, carding 36 points. Garcia, who’s played straight in PAL Interclub since 2009, fired three birdies against three bogeys for par 36.
“It was a solid and patient game. I played on this course because I’ve studied college here in Davao City for four years. This course is tough and it requires patience and I was able to play patiently and put up a good score,” said Garcia who birdied holes No. 8, 13 and 16.
Sophomore player Marc Gonzalez shot 31 to complement Garcia’s solid play, while Harvey Sytiongsa added 28 and Andre Borromeo chipped in 27.
“The team with the lesser mistakes will come out on top, minimize our mistakes, and we should be in a good position. The team gained some ground in the second day,” Garcia said.
Team Captain Ramontito Garcia, who had the squad’s second best score with 29 on the first day, said that they have now recovered.
“On the first day if we don’t have Pio (Neri) who scored 39, we would have been down bigger than 10. The team played the average game today (second round), we’ve got to perform our average our above average on the next rounds so we can make it,” Ramontito added.
Meanwhile, Apo Golf and Country Club shared the fourth and fifth places with Forest Hills Golf and Country Club with identical 232 points.
Juan Karloz Alba paced Apo Golf scorers with 32 points as Leo Fusilero and Denden de Castro each made 30 and Enrico Gavino had 28.
Rancho Palos Verdes Golf and Country Club occupied the 11th spot (208).
Davao City Golf Club and Lanang Golf Club were still playing in the Aviator Division as of Thursday. (VoxPop Cebu with Marianne L. Saberon-Abalayan)
