Chupurum smokes the competition in Feb. Ace

Joe “Chupurum” Wabol celebrated his 66th birthday in style Saturday by capturing the Refaluwasch Golf Association’s February Ace of the Month Tournament last Saturday at the Kingfisher Golf Links in Talafofo.

The retired employee of the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. beat Alex Aquinigoc’s qualifying round score of net 67 by four strokes to join January Ace of the Month Gus Camacho as the first two qualifiers of RGA’s yearend Club Championship.

Wabol shot identical 41s in the front and back nine to finish with a gross score of 81, minus his 19 handicap, the Kagman resident wound up with a net score of 63. Chupurum is Carolinian for smoker.

Sonny Flores of the Transportation Security Administration was third behind Wabol’s 63 and Aquinigoc’s 67 after swinging a net score of 69. The former CNMI National Basketball coach came away with a gross score of 80 after identical scores of 40 in the front and back nines.

Tony Satur and Richard Pierce round out the Top 5 with net scores of 70 and 71. Satur fired a 36 in the front and 39 at the back for a gross score of 75. Pierce, for his part, shot a 38 in the front and 45 in the back for a gross score of 83. Pierce actually finished tied with Louie Tilipao but edged him via a front nine tiebreak, 38-45.

In the closest to the pin competition, Wabol sweetened his prize pot further after winning the No. 6 hole. Joe “Kamikaze” Camacho was the victor on the No. 15 hole.

Other RGA members who tried their luck in the February Ace of the Month tourney, with their net scores in parenthesis, were Joe Camacho (72), Jess Wabol (72), youth golfer James Balajadia (72) Sasaki Oliver (72), Bill Kaipat (73), comebacking Andy Nepaial (73), Rex Palacios (74), Adam Hardwick (75), Sang Kim (76), Ed Tenorio (76), Nick Sablan (76), Carlos Salas (77), and Gus Camacho (76). Aquinigoc also competed but could only muster a 73.

RGA president and Pacific Games qualifier coordinator Jess Wabol said the next golf tournament in the club’s calendar is the second qualifying round for the Pacific Games (formerly South Pacific Games) set for this Saturday, Feb. 25, at the Coral Ocean Point golf course.

He said check in time for the qualifier is 11:30pm with tee time set an hour later at 12:30pm. Jess Wabol is again inviting women players to join the qualifying rounds so that the CNMI could send a women’s team for the quadrennial event to be held in Apia, Western Samoa.

Lady duffers that want a shot at making the team should pass the four-year residency requirement set by the Pacific Games Council.

For more information about the Pacific Games qualifiers for golf, contact Jess Wabol at 288-1129. For more information about RGA and its monthly tournaments, contact Jess Wabol at the same number. Tony Satur can also be reached at 322-1562/1563, while Sonny Flores can be reached at 234-1748.