RGA congratulates Mt. Carmel winners

Refaluwasch Golf Association the other day congratulated members that made it into the winners’ circle of last Saturday’s 6th Annual Mount Carmel Golf Tournament held at the Laolao Bay Golf Resort.

In a statement made to the [I]Saipan Tribune[/I], RGA applauded Championship Flight winner Jess Wabol, the division’s second runner-up Adam Hardwicke, and Seniors Flight topnotcher Nick Sablan for representing the club well in the annual fundraiser for the islands’ only Catholic school.

Wabol, who is tournament director of RGA, successfully defended his Championship Flight title when the former Oleai Elementary School principal beat Hardwicke and Joji Taguchi after he shot a one-over 73.

Taguchi, a teammate of Wabol in the 2003 Suva South Pacific Games CNMI national golf team, tied RGA president Hardwicke with his two-over 74 but edged the chief Public Defender via scorecard tiebreak to take home first runner-up honors.

Sablan, meanwhile, was without peer in Senior Flight with his 70 net. Former presiding judge Edward Manibusan and Jun Soo Park finished second and third with a 73 and a 75, respectively.

In other flights in last weekend’s Mt. Carmel toruney, Yasu Irinaka won A Flight after firing a 78. A shot off Irinaka’s pace was Joh Guerrero with his 79, while third place went to Rudy Sablan.

Lady golfer Leina Kim was without peer in the B Flight, as the islands’ No. 1 women’s golfer shot an 84 to beat Patrick Guerrero (85) and defending champion and House Speaker Arnold Palacios (88).

Frankie Pangelinan held fort in C Flight with his 90, while two Johns—Terlaje and Salas wound up second and third with scores of 90 and 91, respectively. Pangelinan edged Terlaje on a scorecard tiebreak.

Sherlyn Jones ruled the Ladies Flight with her net 70, followed by Terry Attao (71) and Noriko Togawa (74).

In related news, RGA reminded the public that that the club has halved its membership dues for 2008 from the long-standing fee of $50 to only $25.

This happened after RGA recognized the hard economic times and decided to give its members and future members a break by slashing the cost of becoming part of RGA.

The club hopes that by making membership in RGA a little lighter in the pocket, more weekend warriors will now return to the golf links and renew their membership or apply as new members of the golf club.

For more information about RGA’s new membership policies and other competitions held by the club, contact Hardwicke at 483-2926 or Wabol at 233-3673.