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Youngster Lee, veteran Olopai rule Club Lao
Young Dong “Edward” Lee watches the direction of his tee shot during his finals game against Yuko Togawa in last Sunday’s match play of the Club Lao golf tournament on the east course of the Laolao Bay Golf & Resort. (Jon Perez)
Youngster Dong Young “Edward” Lee and veteran Tars Olopai emerged as champions of the match play event of the Annual Club Lao Charity Golf Tournament held last weekend at the Laolao Bay Golf & Resort.
Lee won the Open Club Championship against Yuko Togawa, while Olopai took the Seniors title over Hyew Duck Jang.
The 14-year-old Lee, who won the low gross category in the Marianas International Cup 2017 a few weeks ago, was among the eight qualifiers in the men’s division, while Togawa joined three others in the women’s side. Lee breezed through the men’s division finals by dispatching Jong Hoon Park, 5-up, and followed it up with another 5-up decision over Seung Woo Kang. The junior golfer then faced Feng Chun Jin in the men’s finals and he won, 3 1/2-up, to earn a shot at the overall crown.
Togawa earned the right of facing Lee after beating her mother Noriko, 3-up. Yuko, whose other wins were against Yuri Kim and Shiori Onoue, ran out of luck in her finals matchup against Lee. It was a see-saw battle in the first six holes before Lee breezed through after going 1-up at No. 7 and went 3-up after No. 9 that was highlighted by an almost 30-foot putt. The youngster padded his lead to 5-up going to No. 15 and that was it, as Togawa could no longer overcome her opponent’s lead.
Meanwhile, Olopai defeated Jang for the Seniors’ crown, 5-up. His other wins were against Joe Tenorio and Eli Buenaventura, while Jang dispatched Manny Mangarero and John Cepeda to earn a finals berth.
Tenorio came in at third, while Mangarero was fourth. Dennis Williams and Alex Tudela were the other Seniors qualifiers.
In the women’s division, Noriko Togawa finished second with Young Sook Kwon and Yu Ri Kim ending up at third and fourth. Masayo Miyamoto, Chang Hee Yoo Me Ae Jeon also qualified in the women’s match play.
Edward Lee, aside from being the overall Club Lao champion, also ruled the men’s side with Jin as the runner-up and Ryan Kim coming in at third. Kang was fourth in the men’s division. J.J. Atalig, Young Woo Lee, and Gi Yeong Kim were the other qualifiers in the men’s match play.
