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Cruz is Fil-Taga September Ace
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Posted on Sep 23 2021
Fil-Taga Golfers Association pioneer Mike Cruz was hailed champion of the club’s September Ace of the Month Tournament last Sunday, Sept. 19, the Laolao Bay Golf & Resort east course.
The 72-year-old owner of NorthPac Construction fired a net 73 build around a 46 in the first nine holes and a 49 in the back nine holes. The 22-handicapper finished with a gross score of 95.
Mike Cruz, left, won the Fil-Taga Golfers Associatio’s September Ace of the Month Tournament last Sunday, Sept. 19, the Laolao Bay Golf & Resort east course. (Contributed photo)
Cruz, who first fell in love with the sport in 1988, said he is already looking forward to winning his fifth Fil-Taga Ace of Aces yearend trophy. The Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija in the Philippines native said golf is his favorite hobby and is one of the original founders of the club that was established in 1993.
Ruben Avendaño actually fired the lowest net score of the day, but since he already won in July the monthly winner went to the next lowest score, which was a tie between Cruz and Henry Bautista. The former, however, already won in January that allowed Cruz to take home the September qualifier.
Avendaño shot a net score of 69 after the 19-handicapper swung identical 44s in the front and back nines for a gross of 88. Bautista, meanwhile, matched Cruz’s net 73 with a 44 in the first nine holes and 42 in the back nine for a gross of 86 for the 13-handicapper.
A total of 12 players took part in the September ace. The rest of the players, with their scores in parenthesis, are as follows: Albert Pajarillaga (74), William Retardo (74), Wil Maui (76), Freddie Cataluna (76), Rene Batallones (77), Jess Yumul (79), Bert Suda (79), and Ed Varias (84).
With the win in the September Ace, Cruz joins Bautista (January), Dan Ganacias (February), Eli Buenaventura (March), Tony Cabrera (April), Retardo (May), Lito Mendoza (June), Avendaño (July), and Ronnie Santos (August) for the yearend Fil-Taga Ace Tournament.
In the par 3 competition, Bautista topped everyone in hole No. 4, while Ganacias was without peer in hole No. 6. Cataluna won hole No. 15, while hole No. 11 belonged to Suda.
Fil-Taga Golfers Association will hold its October ace on Oct. 16 at the Kingfisher Golf Links in Talafofo. Check-in time and tee-off time will be announced soon.
