15-year-old Atenean leads charge.
DAVAO CITY – Powerhouse Manila Southwoods flexed its muscle on opening day, taking an 11-point lead over Canlubang in the 70th Philippine Airlines Interclub golf team championships Wednesday.
Carl Corpus, a 15-year-old student of Ateneo de Manila, led Southwoods with 35 points while Junjun Plana, a 49-year-old businessman, and Jets Sajulga added 34 apiece as the defending champion turned in 136 points at the Apo Golf and Country Club.
That’s equivalent to eight-over in stroke play, a start that Southwoods captain Thirdy Escano described as impressive.
Also counting for Southwoods was Kristoffer Arevalo who submitted 33. Korean Tom Kim did not count with 28.
“That was the score we, more or less, expected in the first day,” said Escano who now looks forward to playing at Rancho Palos Verdes in the next two days.
“I don’t think there will be much movement at Palos since this is the kind of course we’re used to play,” added Escano. “Apo remains the battleground.”
Corpus, playing the Interclub only for the second time, made one birdie against two bogeys in a solid performance that belies his age.
Plana, who made his Interclub debut at the age of 12, rallied with two birdies in the backnine to salvage a two-over par 74. His birdie putt on the 18th stopped inches before the cup.
Fourteen-year-old rookie Jolo Magcalayo shot 36 points, the day’s best round, while Luis Miguel Castro, 16, added 34, but Canlubang failed to get the desired points from the rest of the team.
Jakey Yulo and Jan Philippe De Claro counted with 29 and 26 points. Fernando Zaldarriaga, a first-time, failed to count with 24.
Magcalayo, a Grade 8 student at La Salle-Zobel, made two birdies against two bogeys in a stunning performance that confirms the rise of the brat pack.
Luisita Golf Club and Del Monte, the only other teams in the championship division, lagged behind with 115 and 111 points, respectively.
Luisita scorers were Josh Jorge 32, Don Petil 29, Jingy Tuason 27 and Luis Miguel Guerrero.
Del Monte, on the other hand, drew 32 points from Noel Langamin, 31 from Mellurence Cubillo, 26 from Rolando Bregente and 22 from Raul Miñoza.
Meanwhile, Sherwood Hills and Lumbia Golf shared the first round lead in the Aviator division after scoring 106 points apiece at Apo.
Alta Vista Golf was in third place with 93 while Davao City Golf took fourth with 91.
In the Friendship class, PGA of British Columbia took a 20-point lead over Camp Aguinaldo after tallying 95 points at Palos Rancho Verde. San Juanico Golf was running third with 74.
Partial results:
CHAMPIONSHIP
Manila Southwoods 136, Canlubang 125, Luisita 115, Del Monte 111.
AVIATOR
Sherwood Hills 106, Lumbia Golf 106, Alta Vista 93, Davao City Golf 91, Manila Golf 89, Iloilo Golf 88, Victorias Golf 85, Eagle Ridge 81, Club Filipino de Cebu 74, Fil-Am Hawaii 71, Greenhills West 61, Vancouver Golf ABC 61, Pinoy Vancouver Golf 60, Tagaytay Midlands 59 (REY BANCOD)