Taitano triumphs in Club Championship

A golf novice defeated seasoned veterans to capture the Refalu-wasch Golf Association 2004 Club Championship held last Saturday at the Laolao Bay Golf Resort Saipan west course.

Mario Taitano, who first took a swing on the sport in 2001, bagged the coveted yearly championship of the golf association after finishing the single-round competition with a net score of one-under 71.

The director for benefits of the Northern Mariana Islands Retirement Fund bested the likes of 2003 Club Championship winner Sasaki Oliver, and Suva South Pacific Games veterans Jess Wabol, Joe “Kamikaze” Camacho, Eddie Peter, and Nick Sablan for the title.

Taitano and Wabol actually finished with identical net scores but the former clinched the title through a scorecard tiebreak.

Oliver wound up in third place in this one after dominating play last year with an even par 72, while Camacho, who easily is one of the best golfers this side of Micronesia, and Peter, who is looked up to as the dean of golf in the islands, wound up in fourth and fifth places with a one-over 73 and two-over 74 net scores, respectively.

Taitano received RGA’s larger-than-life 2004 Club Championship cup during the golf association’s Christmas party and awards banquet that took place the evening of the tournament at the Hyatt Regency Hotel Saipan’s Kili Beach Café.

“Honestly, before I took up the sport I thought people who play golf are stupid. Now, three years and more than tens of thousands of swings later, I’m proud to say I too am stupid,” said Taitano in jest.

RGA president Jess Wabol congratulated Taitano for his latest feat and said that his accomplishment proves that hard work and perseverance on the golf course indeed pays off.

“For the past three or four years Mario has been working hard to improve his game. He plays on his own time whenever he’s not playing in RGA events. To him to beat me, Sasaki, Kamikaze, Peter, Sablan, and even his own instructor, Tony Satur, is just incredible,” he said.

Aside from a bundle of cash and the handsome hardware, Taitano also gets a one-year free membership from the club. RGA would also pay for the entry fee of Taitano’s tournament of choice in 2005.

Wabol said Taitano would also have the honor of carrying the flag of RGA in all golf tournaments and golf-related events in 2005.

Always the comic, Taitano reportedly whispered to close friend, Norman Tenorio, after the ceremony that he would from now on bring his RGA Club Championship trophy wherever he goes—from the Retirement Fund, to Tony Roma’s, to the driving range, and especially to the golf course

The awards banquet also saw RGA hand out special awards to deserving members. Jordan Kosam won the average low net competition after averaging 71 throughout the season.

Joe Wabol, meanwhile, received the Sid K. Peter Memorial award. The plum goes to the player who played the most rounds during the year. Wabol showed up in 15 out of possible 21 rounds RGA tournaments in 2004.

Also receiving cash prizes for the closest-to-the-pin competition held during the Club Championship were John Tagabuel on hole No. 3, Peter on hole No. 7, Joe Wabol on hole No. 13, and Ben Duenas on hole No. 17.

A total of 15 players, made up of 14 RGA members and a guest, showed up for the 2004 Club Championship, which teed off at 11am despite not-so-ideal weather conditions.

Players outside the Top 5 and their respective net scores are as follows: Sonny Flores, 74; Tony Satur, 76; Nick Sablan, 77; Norman Tenorio, 79; Luie Tilipao, 81; Ben Duenas, 82; Joe Wabol, 84; Jordan Kosam, 85; John Tagabuel, 86; and John Rebuenog, 96.

RGA president Wabol also extended his thanks to the following businesses and lawmakers for donating in-kind prizes to the 2004 RGA Club Championship: Town & Country Restaurant, Kingfisher Golf Links, Dolphin Wholesale, Pacific Trading Co., Verizon, Rep. Rey Tebuteb, Rep. Martin Ada, Rep. Heinz Hofschneider, and Rep. David Apatang.

For more information about the RGA and its tournaments for next year, please contact Jess Wabol at 288-1129, Tony Satur at 322-1562/1563 or Sonny Flores at 234-1748.