3 clinch SGA Aces of the Aces spots

Manny Alvarez, John “Nani” Cruz, and Steve Balakrishna clinched the last three berths for the Saipan Golfers Association’s Ace of the Aces Tournament, which is set this weekend at the Marianas Country Club.

Saipan Golfers Association members pose for a group photo during one of their monthly tournaments last year at the Marianas Country Club. (Contributed Photo)

The three either placed second or third in separate monthly aces but earned the trip to the season-ending tournament as the first place finishers had already assured of berths in the SGA’s Ace of the Aces.

Alvarez finished with a 70 in the October Ace held on Sept. 28 at Coral Ocean Golf Resort to place second and two shots behind Larry Deleon Guerrero’s 68.

Deleon Guerrero, however, was the SGA September Ace, allowing Alvarez to take the October crown. Tony Deleon Guerrero came in third (70), while January Ace Nick Sablan (No. 4), Jung Eun Teack (No. 6), Cruz (No. 11), and Larry Deleon Guerrero (No. 15) were the closest to the pins winners.

Greg Sablan (No. 2) and Rick Kautz (No. 18) were the longest drive winners.

Greg Sablan also topped the November Ace on Nov. 16 at MCC and since he already won the June event, Cruz was declared the monthly champion.

Kautz, Attorney General Edward Manibusan, Juan Lizama, and Tony Deleon Guerrero finished third to sixth, respectively.

Nick Sablan (No. 6), May Ace Frances Sablan (No. 8), Teack (No. 12) and Kautz (No. 18) were the closest to the pin winners for November, while Greg Sablan (No. 2) and Juan Babauta (No. 11) had the longest drives.

In the December event, Balakrishna’s 76 was good enough for third place behind Teack’s 70 and Manibusan’s 75, but the former bagged the monthly crown since the last two golfers had already ruled the July and August games. Juan Pan Guerrero came in at fourth with a 76.

Manibusan (No. 3), Babauta (No. 7), Teack (No. 12) and Tony Deleon Guerrero (No. 14) were the closest to pin winners last month, while February Ace James “Jimbo” Nelson (No. 6) and Nick Sablan (No. 8) had the longest drives.

Alex Tudela (March) and Das Krishnan (April) were the other Ace of the Month winners who qualified in the Ace of the Aces tournament.

The teeoff for the Jan. 17 opening day of the Ace of the Aces tournament is at 1pm, while the Sunday event starts at 10am. The weekend competition will be held at MCC, while the awards banquet is set at the Pacific Island Club on Sunday evening. (Jon Perez)