Pioneer tops year’s first Ace of the Month

Mike Cruz won the Fil-Taga Golfers Association’s January Ace of the Month Tournament last Jan. 22 with a net 71. ((CONTRIBUTED PHOTO))

Mike Cruz was hailed champion of the Fil-Taga Golfers Association’s January Ace of the Month Tournament last Jan. 22 at the Kingfisher Golf Links in Talafofo.

The 73-year-old club pioneer shot a net 71 after recording a gross of 91 (43-48) in the second round of Fil-Taga’s Ace of the Year Tournament. The club used Round 2 of the season-ending competition as their January tourney.

The owner of NorthPac Construction pulled out the win despite the inclement weather that saw winds turn to sheets of rain, especially later in the round.

“When it rained it was hard and my score also went bad. In the front nine my score was good because it wasn’t raining yet although the winds were already strong,” Cruz said in Filipino.

Good thing that veteran golfers like him and Lito Mendoza can drive the ball low, which was an advantage when the weather went south that particular Saturday.

“We can drive the ball low so even against the wind, Lito and I can still drive the ball long and straight. We already have that technique mastered because we’ve been playing golf for such a long time,” he said.

Cruz can now heave a sigh of relief after winning the club’s first monthly tournament.

“I don’t have to look to win the monthly ace anymore because I already won. This means I will just play for the money the next monthly tournaments,” he said.

Cruz added that when you reach 73 years old, your performance in the golf course now squarely depends on conditioning.

“That day I felt okay. Because of my left knee injury, I just exercise with my dumbbells so my upper body will have the strength to swing even if my lower body doesn’t really cooperate that much anymore,” he said.

Like 2021 Fil-Taga Ace of the Year winner Ruben Avendano, Cruz is dedicating his victory in the January tilt to club members who passed away recently—Raffy Piamonte and Larry Pascual.

Finishing second to Cruz in the January ace was Mendoza, who carded a net 73 built around a gross score of 88 (42-46), while third place went to Hak Chon Bae after he recorded a net 74 (gross 88, 45-43).

A total of 13 golfers took part in the January ace and the rest are the following with their net scores in parenthesis: Ruben Avendano (78), Ed Varias (78), Rodel Macasinag (78), Dan Ganacias (79), William Retardo (80), Emil Padernal (80), Henry Bautista (81), Freddie Cataluna (81), Bert Suda (85), and Jess Yumul (87).

In the par 3 competition, Mendoza, Padernal, and Retardo were without peer in their respective holes.