TCC aces sweep past Canlubang at Binitin

TCC aces sweep past Canlubang at Binitin
by:Ramos, Alfredo


BACOLOD—Riding Tonlits Asistio’s sizzling final eight holes, The Country Club Thursday seized a two-point lead over defending champion Canlubang at the halfway mark of the 63rd Philippine Airlines Interclub golf championship.
The pro-bound Asistio picked up five shots in that stretch and beat Jonel Ababa by three points as he checked in with a two-under-par 68 for 38 points at the tight Binitin course in Murcia town.
Fil-American rookie Carl Ocampo dominated Jessie Balasabas with a 71 for 35 points, former Hong Kong Amateur champion Dante Becierra contributed 31 and ex-Sugar Baron Zannie Boy Gialon had 30 as TCC assembled a second straight 134 for 268 overall.
Canlubang, seeking to win this division for the fifth straight year, didn’t get explosive scores from its big guns as Ababa checked in with 35 and Balasabas struggled in his final five holes for just 30.
From three-up at the start of the day, the Sugar Barons fell to second at 266 after compiling 129 in the second round as Joey Huerva settled for a 33 after hitting the wrong ball on his final hole and Art Arbole managed just a 31.
Huerva penalized himself the mandatory two strokes after realizing his mistake and that proved the cushion TCC needed to wrest the lead.
“I was so confident going to that ball that I didn’t bother checking if it was mine or not,” said Huerva, the 19-year-old European Studies major at De La Salle University.
Dino Villanueva, who shot a measly 26 points at the Negros Occidental Golf Club (formerly Marapara) Wednesday, failed to count again for TCC after scoring 29.
Twelve-year-old Canlubang rookie Ruperto Zaragosa III, just three over in his first eight holes, picked up eight shots in his final 11 for 25 points and likewise did not count.
The Championship Division has turned into a dual meet after just 36 holes as Alabang stood 51 points off the lead after pooling just 110 for a 217 aggregate, with Sherwood Hills in fourth after a 98 for 173.
“We’re very happy to be two-up,” TCC coach Bong Lopez said. “If we can maintain that lead or stay level with them going into the last day, then we might have a chance to win this.”
Third-round action will still be at Binitin, an old, windswept course whose fairways are lined with tall trees, with the NOGC hosting final-round action.
“We just didn’t play well today,” Canlubang manager Luigi Yulo said. “We might play the same lineup tomorrow (today) and see if we can get something out of them.”
The 20-year-old Asistio, who will play his first pro tournament in the ICTSI leg at Sherwood Hills on March 17, highlighted his blazing eight-hole stretch with an eagle on the 320-yard, par-4 second hole, where he drove the green and left himself with a 15-foot putt which he canned.
He gunned down three more birdies to overtake the 24-year-old Ababa.
Over at the NOGCC, Southwoods, a Championship Division contender when it had players like Artemio Murakami and Angelo Que, totaled 134 points for 242 and a six-point lead over former champion Del Monte in the Founders Division.
Chepe Dulay carded 36 points and Fidel Concepcion chipped in 35 for Southwoods, which also drew 34 from Miggy Yee and 29 from former junior world champ AR Ramos.
Del Monte was paced by Clyde Mondilla’s 34 and the 30 of veteran Yoyong Velez. BJ Mendoza and Banny Abanio contributed 28 each for Del Monte.
Scores:
CHAMPIONSHIP—TCC 268 (134-134), Canlubang 266 (137-129), Alabang 217 (107-110), Sherwood Hills 173 (75-98), Mt. Malarayat 161 (85-76), Green Tee 154 (77-77), Victorias 148 (65-83), Moffet Fields 141 (73-68), South Cotabato 121 (61-60), Mabuhay Golf 116 (52-64), EZ Par 116 (93-58), Brookside 95 (46-49), San Diego 76 (52-24), Pinoy Vancouver 43
FOUNDERS—Manila Southwoods 242 (108-134), Del Monte 237 (117-120), Negros GCC 236 (109-127), Cebu CC 233 (117-116), Sta. Elena 228 (119-109), Mactan Island 216 (103-113), Riviera 206 (101-105), Wack Wack 202 (114-88), Orchard 197 (97-100), Villamor 196 (92-104), Forest Hills 194 (93-101), Alta Vista 182 (87-95)
SPORTSWRITERS—Pueblo de Oro 205 (103-102), Manila Golf 197 (97-100), Tagaytay Highlands 197 (107-90), John Hay 196 (97-99), Valley 192 (92-100), Palos Verdes 192 (101-91), Paoay 187 (90-97), Phil. Navy 186 (101-85), Eagle Ridge 185 (93-92), Iligan 181 (97-84), Apo Golf 175 (88-87), Ang Tay 174 (92-82), Iloilo 174 (100-74), Team LA 173 (86-87), Zamboanga 172 (87-85), Guinhalaran 163 (78-85), Pueblo de Oro 160 (103-67), Club Filipino 160 (93-67), Saranggani 158 (82-76), Camp Evangelista 149 (63-86), Stanford 135 (69-66), Greenhills 134 (71-63), Fil-am Fairfield 123 (52-71), Northgate 120 (57-63), Seattle 118 (46-72), Leyte 115 (35-80), PGA BC 109 (74-35), Riyadh 99 (49-50), Pinoy Vancouver 89 (43-46)
FRIENDSHIP—Davao 191 (92-99), Bacolod 185 (90-95), Bay Area 184 (96-88), Fil-am Hawaii 181 (103-78), FGA1 Riyahd 168 (87-81), Mt. Malindang 167 (83-84), San Juanico 163 (83-80), UP Tee Jots 160 (77-83), Maharlika 148 (66-82), Lanang 147 (75-72), Brotherhood 140 (67-73), Fil-am Florida 136 (67-69), Lumbia 134 (75-69), Cotabato 133 (60-73), Pittsburg 127 (65-60), Austral-Asian 119 (54-65), SFO Crystal Springs 102 (50-70), Samahan 74 (34-40), Skywest 115 (61-54), Mabuhay SFO 100 (50-50)