Mango Tee drama

The Mango Tee 38 at Alabang Country Club was a smashing success — until the winners were announced.

Loud boos erupted during the awards ceremony, so intense that one team refused to step on stage to claim their trophies.

This kind of drama was a first in the tournament’s history. But the scores tell the story: some teams posted mind-blowing numbers — 36-under and 31-under over two days — while the next best team lagged far behind at 22-under.

Even more eyebrow-raising: an 11-handicapper shot even par, only to be outshined by a 24-handicapper who somehow managed 8-over. Talk about golf math that makes you do a double take!

In the end, those two teams didn’t just win — they practically invented a new level of domination. And before anyone even thinks “cheating,” organizers made it clear that every score was verified and above board.

What organizers did not have control over was the handicap index submitted by players.

A golf handicap index measures a player’s potential ability, letting golfers of different skill levels compete fairly. Lower handicap — better golfer, higher — less experienced.

It’s based on past scores and course difficulty, showing how many strokes above or below par a golfer is likely to shoot on a good round. Handicaps are also used to adjust scores in competitions, leveling the playing field.

Either the players in question were guilty of not submitting their good rounds — widely known as sandbagging — or may have discovered the swing secrets overnight.

The crowd’s reaction, the disbelief of the other players, and the sheer impossibility of some of the numbers posted will be talked about long after the trophies were handed out — making this edition of Mango Tee 38 one for the history books.