Mark Fernando and his cousin Anthony—both national team members—each carded two-under-par 68s, the same output churned in by the less-known Paul Echavez yesterday in the first round of the 2007 Philippine Amateur Golf Championship in Iloilo City.

The cousins later admitted they had to adjust their games to suit the carabao-grass fairways of the Sta. Barbara golf course.

“We really needed to change our strategies because Sta. Barbara’s narrow fairways are very different from Riviera where we played for eight days,” Mark, a Calatagan bet, and Anthony, an ICTSI mainstay, told BusinessMirror.

The cousins earned two of the six slots for the men’s team to the Thailand 24th Southeast Asian Games by finishing on top of the National Golf Association of the Philippines (NGAP) qualifying tournament at Riviera last week.

Echavez, also a Calatagan bet and member of the Philippine Amateur Golf Development Foundation of sportsman Tommy Manotoc, played consistently with a two-under 34 at the turn then had an even 34 coming home for that 68 scored under a brief drizzled midway through the first round.      

Mike Bibat, another member of the national team, rallied from a three-over 39 in front with a sensational four-under 30 going home which he built around four consecutive birdies from the 11th and another on the 18th for a one-under 69.

“That birdie on No. 11 jump-started me.  Started a string. I faltered at No. 15 for my lone bogey at the back nine but I had another birdie at the 18th,” said Bibat, a bronze medal winner at the 2006 Asian Games.

Erwin Vinluan, one of the more senior amateurs in the fold, submitted a 71 and was in joint third place with RP Amateurs defending champion Jay Bayron.  Daniel Sinfuego, Joseph Labajo, Tonlits Asistio and Joey Huerva were bunched at fourth with 72s.

Other members of the RP team who will see action in Thailand were way below in the standings.  Jhonnel Ababa had a three-over 73 while Ferdie Aunzo only managed a six-over 76.

UE a win away from history

NOW, it all boils down to one game.

University of the East (UE) has ducked talk about the “S” word for some time, but with one game left in the preliminaries, the Red Warriors can’t escape the fact that they are on the verge of history.

X-periencing the X-treme

THE number of participants is expected to double from last year when the national wakeboarding finals gets under way from October 26 to 28 at the Camsur Water Sports Complex (CWC) in Pili, Camarines Sur.

FILIPINO light-flyweight contender Bert Batawang will finally get his shot at a world crown.

According to Batawang’s manager and promoter Sammy Gello-ani, the Cebuano fighter is set to challenge International Boxing Federation (IBF) light-flyweight champion Ulises Solis of Mexico on October 4 at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Mark Fernando and his cousin Anthony—both national team members—each carded two-under-par 68s, the same output churned in by the less-known Paul Echavez yesterday in the first round of the 2007 Philippine Amateur Golf Championship in Iloilo City.

Ginebra bags spitfire Artadi in 3-team deal

THERE’S no let up as far as building up its backcourt is concerned for Barangay Ginebra in the coming 33rd season of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).

SEA Games update: Wushu brass makes modest prediction of 4 gold medals

WUSHU is targeting a modest four gold medals in the 24th Southeast Asian Games in Thailand.

Wushu Federation of the Philippines (WFP) president Julian Camacho said a four-gold medal haul is attainable despite the reduction of wushu events in the Thai calendar.

Part of the Game: Does UP need a nose lift?

AFTER coach Joe Lipa made the announcement that people in UP were after his head for the Fighting Maroons’ dismal showing in the UAAP, it’s been open season for intriguing news items, eyebrow raising text messages and gripey grape juice from the grapevine about the UPMBT. (That’s the UP Men’s Basketball Team.)