Eastridge pulls away by 12

Eastridge pulls away by 12 | Daily Tribune

BACOLOD CITY — Eastridge-Prime Homes came out swinging on Wednesday, surging ahead by 12 points at the halfway mark of the 76th Philippine Airlines Interclub Golf Championship.

The Binangonan-based team posted an impressive 105-point total at Bacolod Golf Club for 204 overall, leaving the competition in their wake.

Jeff Lumbo, Alexander Bisera and Ronel Taga-an each carded 35 points, giving Eastridge a commanding lead.

Tagaytay Highlands-Team IMG, however, kept the pressure on as the closest competitor, while defending champion Manila Southwoods slipped to third after a lackluster round.

After a dominant victory at the Fil-Am Invitational in Baguio last month, Eastridge entered the tournament with high hopes.

But on Wednesday, they made a statement.

Lumbo’s round was a rollercoaster of highs and lows. He made four straight pars, then found his rhythm with two birdies, before a lone bogey threatened to derail his momentum. A frustrating pick-up on 13 and another bogey on 14 left him fighting to regain his composure. But he dug deep, closing with a birdie on 18 to finish at 1-under and help his team stay in control.

Bisera’s round was a battle of consistency and resilience. Three birdies against four bogeys kept him steady, but Taga-an’s rally was the real highlight. He made five birdies to offset three pickups.

Twelve-year-old Vito Sarines, the youngest player on the team, made his debut with 31 points — though it wasn’t enough to count toward the team’s total.

“We’re grateful for the steady, gritty rounds from the players, especially with another tricky day on the course,” said Gimo Asuncion, non-playing captain of Eastridge.

With the team firing on all cylinders, Eastridge is more determined than ever to claim its first-ever Interclub title.

Tagaytay Highlands made a strong comeback, improving its opening-day performance with 98 points, leapfrogging defending champion Manila Southwoods into second place.

Joaquin Tolentino made an unforgettable hole-in-one on the 180-yard 10th hole with an 8-iron, finishing with 34 points.

Raymund Sangil and Masaichi Otake chipped in with 32 points each, giving Tagaytay a total of 192 points — five ahead of Southwoods.

Southwoods, seeking to extend its dominance after winning six of the last Interclubs, struggled to post just 92 points, with a two-point deduction due to Miko Granada’s pickup rules infraction.

Patrick Tambalque led the way with 32 points, while Granada and Emil Hernandez both shot 31s.

“Bad day today,” lamented Southwoods captain Thirdy Escano. “We need to play our best golf over the next two days.”

Del Monte sat at the bottom of the championship division with 177 points, despite a solid 93 — a nine-point improvement from its opening round.

After sharing the opening lead with Eastridge, Canlubang stumbled with just 86 points at Negros Occidental Golf and Country Club. This dropped them to fourth place in the Founders division, now led by Cebu Country Club, whose 94-point round brought their total to 189 — three points ahead of Riviera.

Cebu Country Club’s scoring came from Jacob Cajita with 34 points, Jose Marko Anton Sarmiento with 32, and Harvey Sytongsia with 28.

Riviera, led by Henry Bolano’s 33 points, was supported by Raymond Joseph Escalona with 31 and either Hyongkwan Han or Gerald Neil Katigbak, who both contributed 28 points.

Jose Ravinar Austria was Canlubang’s top scorer with 35 but failed to get enough support from Fernando Zaldarriaga and Jose Carlos Yulo who shot 26 and 25, respectively.

The 76th staging of the PAL Interclub is supported by Platinum sponsors PRIMAX Broadcasting Network and Asian Journal.

Mastercard is a gold sponsor while RMN is a silver sponsor.

ABS-CBN Global is joining as a bronze sponsor while VISA, Philippine National Bank, SM Bacolod, Tanduay and Asia Brewery are minor sponsors. Citadines is a hotel partner.