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TAGAYTAY—The
only adversary giving De La Salle fits was Mother
Nature. Against their age-old rivals, the Archers had no
problem breezing past them.
Two-time
defending champion De La Salle found a way to beat the
strong winds at the tough Tagaytay Midlands course to
pad its lead to 16.5-7.5 against Ateneo in the fourth
Ateneo-De La Salle Match Play IV Thursday.
The
winds were actually so strong that the ball at rest was
literally moved by nature’s force. Because of that, club
selection became critical because the players from both
teams had to be akin to wind direction.
“I told
the guys and gals to play smart golf and I’m very glad
they delivered,” said a visibly happy De La Salle team
captain Freddie Mendoza.
Mendoza
must be more than glad. His team is way ahead on points
now with only 18 singles matches left in the last round
of the three-day Ryder Cup-style tournament organized by
Belle Corp. and Tagaytay Highlands.
For
Ateneo, it is still mathematically possible to snatch
the crown and deny De La Salle a three-peat. Eagles
skipper Teboy Javier said that his crew knows that it
will have to parlay its famous “One Big Fight” chant
into action in the tournament sponsored by Reverie
Communications, Pisanti Golf, Mezze Bistro and Bar,
American Eye Center, Raymundo’s Awards and Trophies,
Philippine Airlines, GG & A Shares, Ultraman Travel
Corp., Quadro Frames, Pocari Sweat, Ideal Vision Center
and Ysa Botanica.
“We are
down, yes, and definitely not out yet. It’s a big
challenge for us to win more than 10 singles. But I
believe in my players. We can still win this one,”
Javier said.
A mighty
push in the morning foursome matches saw the Archers
winning three matches, halving two and losing just one.
It was
actually Ateneo which started hot as Jun Jun Plana and
Gab Atienza opened with a one-up victory over Oliver Gan
and King Stehmeier. But that was all the Quezon
City-based institution got in the morning competitions.
The
young tandem of Chucky Hong and Miko Yee produced De La
Salle’s inaugural win for the day when they beat Benjie
Sarmiento and Bayani Garcia, four and two, then followed
by a Raffy Garcia-Marco Olives upset of Marty Ilagan and
Marcel Puyat, 3 and 2.
Lady
Archer Anya Tanpinco, already a double-match winner
here, and Jenz Tecson were all-square with Lady Eagle
Lovelyn Guioguio and Joel Bernaldez in Match Four. JP
Reyes and Justine Tambunting, likewise, halved a point
with Tony Fernando and Jingky Tuason.
The
fifth match went the distance but it was the partnership
of De La Salle’s Mikoe Alejandro and Justin Limjap that
triumphed over Ateneo’s Yoyong Velez and Jovi Neri.
In the
four-ball matches in the event staged in cooperation
with the De La Salle Alumni Association Golf Club and
Ateneo Golf Foundation, and media partners
BusinessMirror, Crossover 105.1, and Solar Sports,
Ateneans Plana and Mari Hechanova were all-square with
La Sallians Bones Floro and Sammy Sy. Ilagan and Puyat
blasted Hong and Yee for Ateneo’s lone win in the
afternoon.
Southeast Asian Games silver medal winner Tanpinco and
Kim Hong repeated over Guioguio and Lana Farales, 2 and
1, while Stehmeier and Marco Olives routed Fernando and
Jeric Hechanova, 6 and 5.
Archers
Francis Gaston and Raffy Garcia fought tooth and nail
for an all-square deal with Eagles Gab Atienza and John
Gobing. |
