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Lizama, Tudela are SGA June, May Aces
Juan Lizama and Alex Tudela earned spots to the season-ending Saipan Golfers Association Ace of Aces Tournament after topping separate monthly events held in different venues.
Lizama clinched the June Ace after shooting 41s at the front and back of Lao Lao Bay Golf & Resort’s east course for an 82 aggregate last Sunday. His 16 handicap gave him a net score of 66 for a one-shot victory over Juan “Nani” Cruz’s 67 (85, 18 handicap).
Nick C. Sablan (77, 5 handicap); Tudela (80, 8 handicap); and Jung Eun Teack (83, 11 handicap) all ended with 72s, but the former won third place after the scorecard tiebreak. Tudela finished fourth, while Jung came in at fifth.
Steve Balakrishna led the closest to the pin winners at No. 4, while Rick Kautz and Mariano Fajardo claimed Nos. 6 and 11, and Sablan hole No. 10. Kautz also had the longest drive at No. 10, while Jung and Tudela eagled the par-4 No. 5.
Larry Deleon Guerrero, in last week’s May Ace at the Marianas Country Club in Marpi, topped the event after a 71 net. He tallied 91 (47 and 44) and his 20 handicap gave him the winning score.
There was a three-way tie for second place with Tudela matching Attorney General Edward Manibusan and Tony Deleon Guerrero’s 72 and a scorecard playoff at the par-4 No. 9 determined the runner-up.
Manibusan and Tudela saved par the 1-handicap hole to advance at the par-3 No. 11 after Deleon Guerrero double bogeyed. The former clinched runner-up honors after he birdied No. 11, while Tudela parred the hole.
But with Deleon Guerrero being the March Ace and Manibusan winning the inaugural monthly tournament last January, Tudela automatically became the SGA May Ace. Cruz was the February Ace , while Jung earned the April monthly crown.
Manibusan had the longest drives at No. 2 and 11 in the May tournament, while the closest to the pins winners were Greg Sablan (No. 6), James Nelson (No. 8), and Tony Deleon Gueerero (Nos. 12 and 16).
Meanwhile, SGA will hold its July Ace on July 19 at the Kingfisher Golf Links with tee time to be announced at a later date.
