Abalos, Guerrero top July Ace

Edgar Abalos and Tony Guerrero improved their chances of being included in a Ryder Cup-type competition this coming September by winning their respective divisions in FilTaga Golfers Association’s July Ace of the Month Tournament held last July 17 at the Coral Ocean Point Resort golf course.

Abalos won the A Flight despite finishing tied with February Ace winner Ralph Yumul, as both golfers finished with identical net scores of 68.

Abalos carded a gross score of eight-over 80, but minus his 12 handicap, gave him the score to beat. Yumul, who under club rules could only win once during the year, fired a nine-over 81.

107th Philippine Independence Day Golf Tournament champion Sen. Pete Reyes wound up second behind Abalos and Yumul with his 74 net score. Reyes came away with a gross score of 85.

Father Manny Corcuera and Wilhelm Maui complete the top five with net scores of 75 and 76, respectively. Corcuera fired a gross score of 91 and Maui an 89.

The rest of the golfers in A Flight, with their net scores in parenthesis, were as follows: William Retardo (78); Jess Yumul (78); Joe Miranda (79); George Sablan (87); and Ted Malaran (88). Players Mando Guban, Gil Faller, and Rey Ferraz were not able to complete their rounds.

Guerrero, for his part, ruled B Flight after leaving the greens and fairways with a net score of 65. He finished the day with a gross score of 87.

Five shots behind him was a group of three players, who came away with net scores of 70. The three were Mike Cruz, Tom Aguon, and Manuel Villaga, although Cruz copped second place due to a tiebreaker, while Aguon and Villaga settled for third and fourth, respectively. Fifth place was Ernie Lopez who shot a 71.

The rest of the golfers in B Flight, with their net scores in parenthesis, were as follows: Rene Batallones (72); Henry Bautista (73); Larry Guerrero (74); Freddie Cataluna (76); Greg De Torres (76); Nestor Siruelo (77); Manny Po (78); Jhun Calma (79); Glenna Palacios (79); Jun “Tiger” Dela Cruz (80); Cesar Dumatol (83); John Matsumoto (89); and Kim (91, who still didn’t have a handicap). K.J. Semikian and Ben Sablan were also not able to complete their rounds.

Dubbed the SGA-FilTaga Cup, the Ryder Cup-type tournament will be held on Sept. 4 and Sept. 11, with the first Sunday adopting a best ball format play and the second Sunday featuring match play one on one.

As the name of the tournament suggests, the event would be between FilTaga’s very own players and members of the Saipan Golfers Association.

The September tournament will be held for the benefit of the Northern Marianas Islands Junior Golf League.

For more information about FilTaga, its monthly tournaments, and the upcoming SGA-FilTaga Cup, contact club president Ted Malaran at 322-1234 or 287-1227.

Established in 1993, FilTaga’s tournaments operate under a computer-controlled handicap system that creates parity among players in the A and B Flights.

A FilTaga Ace of the Month champion is crowned monthly. Regular tournaments are scheduled once a month, normally every third Sunday. Green fees are in the $35 to $40 price range for most tournaments.