Category: Golf

Cebu’s most heralded golf competition that lured an All-star cast may have concluded last Friday, but the positive chitchat continues to reverberate. Following Bayani Garcia’s detailed assessment two days ago are two more commentaries: from Frederic Chiongbian, a two-time marathon runner who also walks the golf course, and from Sebastian Lacson, the man representing Aboitiz Equity Ventures (AEV) who was most visible last week. Here are their observations…

FREDERIC CHIONGBIAN: “The last time Cebu Country Club hosted a pro tournament was sometime 2003. This was the Philip Morris, First Gentleman’s Cup. So this was indeed an honor. This leg put Cebu on the map. If my numbers were right, we had 80 pros including Angelo Que, Juvic Pagunsan, Frankie Miñoza, Artemio Murakami, Marvin Dumandan and most notables in Phil. golf.

“I had the opportunity to play with a few of the touring pros the week prior: with Phil. Open champion Elmer Salvador, Anthony “Tonight” Fernando and Orlando Sungcad, one of the tour’s longest hitters. It’s one thing watching them from the sidelines, it’s another thing to be playing in the same flight. Believe me when I say that they can make playing golf look easy… I believe that credit is due to ICTSI, Aboitiz and PGT. And to Clifford Celdran and his team for getting the course into wonderful shape.”

BASTI LACSON, Chief Reputation Officer of AEV:

Why did Aboitiz do this golf event? “When the opportunity to bring the Philippine Golf Tour to Cebu came to out attention we immediately grabbed it, keen on bringing an event of this caliber to Cebu for all of us to enjoy and be part of. Also, we had heard what a wonderful job the PGT does of its events, so we were confident enough to attach our brand, of which we are very protective, to the Invitational.”

Before the tournament, did you know that ALL the top players (including Frankie Miñoza) were joining? “We knew the attendance was going to be good, but little did we know it would be THIS good. The timing of the event could not have been better, it comes at a lull in the Asian Tour so many of the Filipino pros active in that tour had the chance to be with us. Miñoza confirmed in the 11th hour, which was good because his presence ensures a crowd. The younger golfers have also developed a following. The pros have many friends in Cebu—one can tell by the convivial socialization between the pros and Cebuanos at the verandah after the matches. This may have helped get such a fine turnout.”

How happy are you with the outcome? “Ecstatic. The Aboitiz Invitational achieved success on various fronts. The pros experienced an appreciative gallery that came in numbers enough to get one pro to concede this was the biggest crowd of the PGT save for the Phil. Open. The turnout demonstrates how the Cebuano appreciates athletes who work hard honing their skills. The amateur participants in the pro-am, along with the amateurs who played astride the pros, got to enjoy the rare opportunity to golf with the country’s finest. And the sporting fans who followed the tournament enjoyed a festival of fine shot-making right in the heart of the city.”

Would this be an annual event now for Aboitiz? “I sure hope so!”

Why the involvement of Aboitiz in sports? “The Corporate Social Responsibility agenda of Aboitiz is focused on three main areas, and sports development is not among them. Yet Aboitiz is not a stranger to sport. For instance, with the Aboitiz Sports Field, AboitizLand provides a venue for many outdoor sporting events. The Aboitiz Football Cup, which has been running for many years now, promotes football among the young. The Aboitiz Run on August 22 is a wonderful activity initiated by fellow Aboitiz team members. The run embodies the Aboitiz brand promise of Passion for Better Ways by pushing the envelope and bringing innovation into the running craze, like having timing chips as a minimum, publishing all participants’ names in the newspaper the following day, massage for finishers…”

Judging from the legion of spectators that swamped the Cebu Country Club last Friday—there to see the likes of Frankie Miñoza, Artemio Murakami, Angelo Que, Juvic Pagunsan and Jay Bayron, the eventual winner who carded an 11-under and pocketed P200,000—the Aboitiz Invitational was a monumental success.

Bayani Garcia, the reigning CCC champion, joined. He displayed the widest of smiles two afternoons ago—thanks to his marvelous performance over 54 holes. In a Q & A yesterday, here’s our Cebu hero…

How confident were you competing with the best? “I’ve been preparing for quite a while now so I was confident. It was great to play with and against the country’s best pros and amateurs. Anytime you get to play with the ‘All-Stars’ of Philippine golf… it’s always a treat.”

Any extra pressure being the CCC champion? “Not at all. I came into this tournament with no expectations and with nothing to lose. My family, the club and everyone gave me their full support. Sure, it was my home course and I was club champion but I just told myself to have fun, relax and relish this amazing week because the opportunity to play the cream of the crop comes very rarely.”

With scores of 72, 71 and 74, you finished at 1-over and almost won (by just two strokes) the Low Amateur Award among the non-pro golfers. How did you rate your game? “I was more than pleased with my performance. About a month ago, I joined the Apo Leg in Davao. It was my first time to join a pro tournament and, I must admit, the pressure was there. I missed the cut. The Davao leg was a gut check for me.     And so entering this week, my sole objective was to make the cut. I knew I had a good shot of coming close (maybe 3rd to 5th) at low amateur since my local knowledge of the course would be a luxury.

“When I made the cut and saw that I was in a good position to win low amateur, I felt like I was dreaming. How in the world did I get myself in this situation! I thought. I just focused, concentrated and gave it my best in every shot. It would have been great if I won but it was not meant to be.

“There were about 30 amateurs; eight from our CCC PAL team: Carl Almario, Eric Deen, Charles Hong, Jovi Neri, Gen Nagai, Marko Sarmiento, LJ Go, and myself. After the second day, it was Carl and I who were left.”

Who were your closest friends who joined? “I knew most of the pros and amateurs, dating back from the PAL tournaments and the Philippine Amateurs. There were a few pros who stayed at our home. The pros I bonded with were Marvin Dumandan (Aboitiz 3rd placer and a 2-time winner on the Phil. Golf Tour), Jerome Delariarte (multiple PGT winner and Asian tour member), Anthony Fernando and Louie Dacudao.

“It was great bonding with these pros. Not only are they role models on the course, they were great people to hang around with. It was good seeing their lighter side. We also had a great time hanging out after, dining in Cebu-based restaurants then having a few drinks at home before retiring early.”

How would you rate this tournament? “It was a great success! Hats off to Aboitiz, ICTSI, MJ Carr Productions and, of course, Cebu Country Club. Rarely do you see all the top guns in the same field. This leg was like a major championship because of the magnitude of the star power. All credit goes to the organizers. The golf course was in excellent shape thanks to the CCC board of directors and GM Clifford Celdran.”

How big an event was this for us? “The Cebu leg has long been overdue. The golfing population here is increasing. This tournament serves as inspiration to junior golfers. It gives Cebuanos a chance to witness first-hand how top golfers in our country—and in Asia—play.

“This could be a regular tour stop; a ‘major’ in Phil. golf. Cebu has a lot of upcoming talent and these tournaments are what’s needed for these prodigies to hone their skills, gain experience and see how they size up. At the same time, the pros can offer insights and lessons to youngsters—thanks to the clinic organized by Aboitiz.”

Aboitiz.com

If you play the sport of Elin Nordegren’s husband, as hundreds of us from Cebu do, then you must escape from work today and tomorrow. Seriously, you must. You ought to sprint to the Cebu Country Club; spend one, three, 14 hours there. It’s not a waste of time. It’s valuable time spent.

The reason: The Aboitiz Invitational Golf Championship. Sponsored by the most influential and respected brand and family name in Cebu—Aboitiz—this event is a must-see, never-to-be-missed spectacle. It’s three days, 54 holes and 16,368 shots of spectacular golf.

Take my experience. Yesterday, I watched Angelo Que. If you don’t swing that 5-iron, you might ask, “Angelo who?” But if you follow this sport of Louis Oosthuizen then, surely, you’ll say, “Yes, the golf champ… Angelo Que.”

I shook his hand. Observed his phenomenal drive. With my tennis buddy Macky Michael (an 8-handicap golfer) driving the wheels of the golf cart, we caught Angelo at the 10th hole. It was 2:45 in the afternoon. Then, at the 11th hole tee mound, we watched. Wearing a white shirt, white cap, beige pants, white shoes and donning red, one-way sunglasses, the 31-year-old readied to swing from the tee. BANG! I’ve never seen anyone hit harder. Then, minutes later when we inspected his shot, in the 513-yard Hole No. 11 of the CCC, his ball landed 180 yards from the pin. Macky’s estimate: He drilled that dimpled ball 330 yards away.

Waiting near the 11th hole green (and thanks to the quick introduction by fellow Cebuano Oliver Ong), I got to shake Angelo Que’s hand before he walked to the green. “Bad luck handshake,” I call it, because while he was putting for eagle, he missed… and missed… settling for a three-putt and a disappointing par.

From Sun.Star Cebu

Toby Florendo was there. While we chatted, someone shouted “FORE!” We covered our heads. In a millisecond—smack!—the ball hit. Not Toby, but just a foot away, one of the player’s golf bags. It was funny. Scary. And, as Macky pointed out, would have made this article’s Headline News had Toby been struck.

The Aboitiz Golf is a contest you and I should watch. Why? Simple. How often do these Manny Pacquiaos of Golf visit our land?    Take Frankie Miñoza. You know him, right? Of course. Who doesn’t? Well, he’s here. Yes. No, he’s not in Japan, where he’s supposed to be playing—but here in Banilad, like he was yesterday, wearing a blue shirt and munching his snacks with Clifford Celdran and Montito Garcia after his 3-under first round.

Vying for the P200,000 first prize (out of the total P1 million) are many of our country’s best, including names we only read about in the national newspapers: Juvic Pagunsan, Artemio Murakami, Jay Bayron, Mars Pucay, and the reigning Philippine Open winner, Elmer Salvador. Another attraction who’s here is Chris Rodgers. Just last weekend, the Briton and Angelo Que finished tied for first place in Malaysia—until Angelo, our 2008 RP Open champion, beat Rodgers in a playoff.

The Aboitiz Invitational is Cebu’s first and the 10th leg of the 14-stage circuit named the ICTSI-Philippine Golf Tour. Armed with a P2.5 million budget, the Aboitizes made sure this event was first-rate.

“We were given a dozen golf balls, a Nike cap, water bottles and other items, our green fees were paid for, same with free breakfast and lunch, plus two golf carts were issued per flight and all caddy fees were sponsored,” said Macky Michael, who was in the same flight with the father-and-son Anton and Toby Florendo and pro Richard Sinfuego during the Aboitiz Pro-Am tournament held last Tuesday.

“Aboitiz is here to help sports. We love sports,” said Basti Lacson, the 6-footer Chief Reputation Officer of the Aboitiz Equity Ventures, when we met yesterday at the Country Club veranda.

Thanks to this dynamic 90-year-old company named Aboitiz, RP’s best in golf are in town. Let’s watch!

Jovi Neri and Bayani Garcia are first cousins. They both play the same game as Phil Mickelson. After last weekend, add one more similarity: they’re both champions of the Cebu Country Club Men’s Club Championships.

Atty. Jovi Neri won in 2002. Bayani Garcia? He was the hero last Saturday, beating four-time winner Eric Deen in one of the most impressive performances on the CCC golf course. Thanks to his cousin Jovi, the detailed account of last week’s contests are all found in the website www.cccjungolf.multiply.com. Here are excerpts of Jovi’s article, “Men’s Club Championship: Bayani The Big Winner!”

www.cccjungolf.multiply.com

May 15 Finals: Bayani Steamrolls Past Eric. “The two finalists had a shaky start. Bayani drove into the water on the left in the first hole to get a bogey which Eric matched after three-putting. For Bayani though, he would play the next 17 holes bogey free with a few birdies sprinkled in to give him a 4-up cushion over Eric going to the lunch break. Bayani was 4 or 5 under with his own ball in the first 18 holes of play.

“In the second 18 holes, Bayani bogeyed the 2nd hole to drop to just 3-up. Although Eric bogeyed the 3rd hole, he bounced back with a birdie on the 4th to trim the lead to a very manageable 3-down deficit with a possible 15 holes to play.

“A wayward tee shot to the par-3 5th by Eric led to a bogey, and they matched pars on the 6th and birdies on the 7th. Bayani stood 4-up, exactly where he began his second 18 holes. Bayani got up and down for par on the 8th with a clutch 8-footer while Eric missed from 5-feet dimming his hopes as he went 5-down. A birdie by Bayani on the 9th put him at 6-up.

“Both players matched pars on the 10th. Bayani found trouble on the 11th and had to play out on his third shot. Lying two on the middle of the fairway for his approach to the green, Eric dumped it into the creek and an imminent 6-up lead with 6-holes to go was coming. Eric wanted none of that and conceded to Bayani on the fairway, even before the latter could play his 4th shot. Bayani is now the new club champion.

The Dominating Match Play Performance. “Unhappy with his qualifying performance, Bayani took a little bit of a gamble by recalibrating his clubs on the eve of his first round match against Marko Sarmiento. It payed dividends in the end. Bayani put one of the most dominating match play performances ever.

“His approximate scores would have been: even par against Marko, one-under in the quarterfinals against Joseph Stevens, three-under in the semis against Lj Go, and a whopping seven-under against Eric Deen in the finals. In all three matches, there was also never a point where Bayani was down.  He was either tied or leading all throughout.

The Long and Winding Mission Accomplished. “Before this year, Bayani’s last time in the finals was in 2002 (or the 2001 edition) where he lost on the 28th hole to his cousin (and current jungolf chairman) Jovi Neri when he was only sixteen years old. It was also that same year where he lost in the Junior Club Championship finals to Keenan Ugarte.

“The year before, Bayani played in Class B and also lost in the finals. And during his last year of junior golf eligibility, he lost in the semifinals where his good friend Charles ‘Chuckie’ Hong went on to win the first of three junior championships. Chuckie went on to win two men’s club championships in three consecutive finals appearances while Bayani remained at one. In one of those years, it was even Chuckie who took Bayani out in the semifinals. Surely, Bayani must have been wondering when his time would come.

“Eight years between finals appearances was definitely a long wait.  It was so long that the last time around, Bayani just finished high school. Now, Bayani has gone through two colleges and is already working. But the wait was coupled with patience and hard work which ensured this victory.

“Bayani posted in one of the networking sites that it was ‘Mission Accomplished’ and what a long mission it indeed was.”

He loves golf. He loves basketball. He loves boxing. He loves chess. He loves tennis. Name a sport and Al S. Mendoza almost surely loves that game. For that’s the secret I learned from one of the gurus of sports-writing; from the man who’s won not one or two—but three—Palanca Awards, the “Pulitzer Prize” of Philippine journalism.

What have I learned from Al? That love of sport equals success in sports-writing. For if you don’t love what you do—sports—then how can you write well about the game?

Al Mendoza loves sports. This I found out last weekend. For three days and two nights and upon the invitation of Mike Limpag, our sports editor and fellow columnist (on the occasion of the baptism of Mike’s son, Nico), the highly-respected writer was here in Cebu with his wife Sol, herself a Palanca awardee.

Last Saturday night, we drank brandy and San Mig Light at the Bistro Ecila at the Ayala Terraces. With us were sportswriters: Atty. Jingo Quijano, Nimrod Quiñones and his son Nico, Edri Aznar, Bobby Motus, Mike and myself. Jun Migallen and Atty. Cheking Seares also shared a beer with Al at Giligan’s. Then, two days ago, Al and his fellow writers of sport met again—at the baptism of Nico and, at the reception after, in Mooon Cafe.

Al Mendoza (2nd from left) with John P., Nico Quiñones, Nimrod Quiñones, Mike Limpag, Atty. Jingo Quijano, Edri Aznar and Bobby Motus

Edri, John, Mike, Jun Migallen, Atty. Cheking Seares and ASM

What a story-teller Al Mendoza is. And what stories he told…

His most interesting interview? “Bobby Fischer.” Al told the story when Fischer was in Manila and the sports columnist wanted to interview him. He was told to report to Fischer’s hotel room… at 4 a.m.! And so, the dutiful writer that he was, Al knocked on Fischer’s room at that appointed time. When Al and a fellow Manila sportswriter sat near Fischer, the chess great asked, “What are you doing here?” When, finally, the interview began, it was the most outlandish of dialogues: Al asking questions while Fischer was in bed, eating mangoes while answering questions. At four in the morning.

Al has been to the grandest of sporting events: the Olympics. Not once, but two times, in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and, in the year, 2000, in Sydney, Australia.

Tennis? Sure. “My wife and I,” said Al, “played tennis together. We started the game a long time ago.” His favorite interview? “That was with Bjorn Borg when he came to Manila,” said Mr. Mendoza. But his love affair with the sport of racquets and nets and drop volleys disappeared when he tried the game of woods and divots and putts.

“Among all sports, I love golf,” he said, “I also consider it the most difficult game in the world.” Since Al has swung the golf iron for over two decades now, he hasn’t stopped, playing almost daily at one point in his golf career. Now, he finds time to play once or twice a week.

“My lowest handicap was 11,” he said. “And I’ve had the privilege of traveling around the world to watch golf.” He’s met Tiger Woods—not in the past decade—but when TW was still an amateur playing the junior tournaments in Florida. “I also met and have spoken to, many times, with Tiger’s dad, Eldrick.”

Al Mendoza is not only a golfer, a golf fanatic, and a golf writer, he’s also a golf rulesman. Which means that he’s an expert at the hundreds of details on the game. Which sport, I asked, is more difficult: tennis or golf? “It has to be golf,” he said, “because it’s a game of inches. One tiny fraction makes a major difference.” How about the mental aspect of golf? “That’s 99 percent of the game!”

We also talked about Rey Pages, my uncle who played for the Crispa Redmanizers. That rivalry—Crispa vs. the Toyota Tamaraws—Al considers as the best ever tug-of-ever in RP sports.

Al first started with the Manila Bulletin in 1974. That’s 35 years ago. In between, he wrote for the Phil. Daily Inquirer—where his stardom rose. It was also during that stint when he wrote the expose of the overage Zamboanga City baseball players—who, in 1992, “won” the Little League World Series.

Today, his column appears in eight Sun.Star newspapers nationwide. What an honor it is for me and Atty. Quijano to call ourselves neighbors of Al Mendoza.

Congratulations to Frederic Chiongbian for scoring his first-ever hole-in-one last Tuesday at the 15th hole of the Cebu Country Club. After besting his flight-mates Toby Florendo, Gabriel Yap, Jr., Eric Deen and Jovi Neri with a birdie on Hole No. 14, Frederic, who’s played golf since he was 12 years old, next nailed the rare feat.

For more… cccjungolf.multiply.com

Not contented with walking on the golf course, Frederic will run the Quezon City Intl. Marathon this Oct. 18. That will be his third 42K race after completing the Singapore and Hong Kong marathons.