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Pedernal is first-time monthly champ
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Posted on Apr 26 2023
Pedernal
Emil Pedernal won his first ever monthly championship after topping the Fil-Taga Golfers Association April Ace of the Month Tournament last April 15 at the Kingfisher Golf Links in Talafofo.
The 54-year-old Batangas, Philippines native carded a net 67 after shooting a 40-41 in the front and back nine for a gross of 81.
The HVAC technician at Pacific Islands Club Saipan attributed his breakthrough win to the TaylorMade driver good friend Ruben Avendano let him borrow during the tourney.
“My drive improved by as much as 70 yards,” said Pedernal whose old driver was a 2004 second-hand model that was a hand-me-down from his older brother Rudy.
“I only missed two fairways with Ruben’s driver and I heard he was gonna let me have it for keeps,” he said.
Pedernal dedicated his win in the Fil-Taga April tournament to God and his loving family. He also thanked his brother, Rudy, who used to work on Saipan and is now based in the U.S. mainland where he runs a successful golf academy, and of course Avendano.
Pedernal, who only started playing golf in 2004 and joined Fil-Taga in 2016, said it took him a while to win a monthly tournament because he doesn’t regularly play golf as much as he wants to.
“Sometimes it will be two months before I could play again,” he said.
Mike Cruz finished second to Pedernal for the April monthly championship after shooting a stroke higher with a net 68 (43-44, gross of 87), while Albert Pajarillaga (45-42, 87) edged Tom Palikkun (39-40, 79) via scorecard tiebreaker after both players submitted identical scores of net 70.
Adony Matutino (net 71), Ed Varias (net 71), Das Krishnan (net 71), Roland Merar (net 71), Wil Maui (net 74), Bert Suda (net 74), Henry Bautista (net 75), Jhun Cayetano (net 78), Edgar Abalos (net 78), Dan Ganacias (net 80), and Jess Yumul (net 84) also took part in the April tourney.
In the par 3 competition, Merar (twice), Abalos, and Krishnan were declared winners.
