Last Minute rules Hyatt Golf Classic

Last Minute’s Joe Suares, Will Maui, Eun Taeck Jung, and Jaeyon Ju ruled the 16th Annual Club at the Hyatt Golf Classic held on the west course of the Laolao Bay Golf Resort last Saturday.

The foursome topped a field of 116 golfers with its net score of 63.6. Last Minute finished with a gross 66, but came out the winner as a result of its 2.4 handicap adjustment that was factored in based on participants’ scores on the six par 3 holes during their respective rounds. The tournament utilized a two-person scramble format with a double peoria scoring system. Each member of the champion team won a one night stay certificate at the Regency Club room of Hyatt Regency Saipan and a Sunday Brunch for two at Giovanni’s.

Team 18A’s Jack Salas, J.J. Atalig, Ned Norita, and Joey Dela Cruz combined for a gross 64, but without a handicap, they settled for second place. Each team member won a one night stay certificate in a deluxe room at the Hyatt Regency Saipan and dinner certificate for two at Kili Café & Terrace.

In the battle for third place, there was a tie between Team10B’s Lorraine Babauta, Terry Guerrero, Shiori Onoue, Sherlyn Jones and Team 6A’s Victor Camacho, John Fegurgur and Jesse Sablan. The two teams finished with identical gross cards of 70 that worked out into a net tally of 65.2.

Both teams were awarded gift coupons for a 60-minute Swedish massage at I Sagua Spa and a lunch buffet for two at Miyako.

There were no hole-in-one prizes won during the event, but there were a number of side game winners.

3B’s Mi Ae Jeon, Young Hi Lee, Lucy Park, and Yang Kim won hole No. 2’s speedball contest with a time of 1:17:54. Colin Thompson and Shirley Jones prevailed in the male and female longest drive (with an iron) contests with respective drives of 215 and 149 yards. Russ Quinn won the most accurate drive contest on hole No. 9, placing his tee shot 12’5” from the center of the fairway, while Ulysses Kapileo had a 195-yard tee shot on hole No. 10 to win the longest drive contest.

James Mitchell won the closest approach on hole No. 11 and Young Hi Lee topped the closest to the hazard contest on hole No. 12, resting his ball three feet away from the danger zone.

Meanwhile, Hyatt Regency Saipan general manager Nick Nishikawa thanked everyone for supporting the fundraising tournament that has raised over $68,000 for the past six years. Proceeds raised from last weekend’s event went to the Make -A-Wish Foundation

Make-A-Wish Foundation executive director Victor Camacho was present at the awards ceremony for the fundraiser at the Hyatt Regency Saipan and also thanked all the golfers and sponsors of the event. Camacho then invited 15-year-old Vincent Santos of Chalan Kanoa and his family as guests of honor at the banquet dinner.

Santos suffers from Osteosarcoma, which is an aggressive type of bone cancer that inflicts 400 people under the age of 20 every year in the U.S. and is the sixth leading cause of cancer in children under the age of 15. He was the recent recipient of assistance from the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

The Hyatt Golf Classic was supported by Saipan Computer Services, Delta Airlines, Marianas Visitors Authority, Bank of Hawaii, Calvo’s Select Care, Bison Relations, Triple J Motors and Five Star Wholesale Foods, IT&E, IP&E, Gold’s Gym, Tan Holdings, Marianas Variety, 103.9 KZMI, Kautz Glass Co., Ideal Signs, Titan Imports, Quality Water Laboratory, KSPN 2, Pacific Wines and Spirits, Sablan Top Line Cleaning Agency, Docomo Pacific, MARPAC, DFS Galleria, Pacific Islands Club, and Pacific Trading, Corp.