Two aces Highlight Alta Vista Fun Golf

CEBU, Philippines — Baltaire Balangauan and Mark Guanzon took the top honors in the Alta Vista Fun Golf 2017 played over the weekend at the AVGCC course in Pardo, Cebu City, but the spotlight shone brighter on Japanese Eiichi Kitamura and Roger Lo, who scored aces.

Balangauan scored the tournament’s best gross with an even-par 72 while Guanzon, who plays with a handicap of 28, had a spectacular game finishing with a net score of 14-under-par 58 off a gross 86.

Kitamura aced the tough par-3 hole No. 8 on Saturday nailing the hole-in-one from 150 yards. 

The feat won him a windfall of prizes that comprised P100,000 from the tournament committee, P 10,000 from Island Paints, P 10,000 from Empire Insurance, a roundtrip ticket to Korea from Air Busan, and a six-night stay at Plantation Bay Resort and Spa.

The ace was witnessed by Kon Takeshi, Yutaka Kobayashi, and Toshimitsu Takahashi.

It was the turn of Tacloban City-based Lo to score an ace on Sunday nailing a 160-yard shot on the par-3 6th and he won a Royal Enfield Bullet 350 cc motorcycle for the feat.

The ace was witnessed by Nestor Mendoza, Masahisa Kawakami, and Virgilio Andrade.

The class A title went to Roy Damole with a net score of 64 off a gross 75.  First runner-up was Leo Saberon with 67 edging Toby Florendo, who settled for the second runner-up honors, in the countback.

Glenn Siao topped class B with a net score of 63 beating Jun Sasuman in the countback.  Sasuman was first runner-up while Jun Dayot was second runner-up with his net 65 beating Kenneth Cue in the countback.

Eugene Tio ruled class C with a net score of 62 beating Allan Mejarito and Carl Paca in the countback.  Mejarito settled for the first runner-up honors while Paca was second runner-up.

Tournament chairman Vicente ‘Inting’ Go bagged the lowest gross title for the seniors (55-69 years old) class with four-over-par 76 strokes.

Manuel Go was net champion of the class with 68 edging Ramon Sebastian and Roger Lo in the countback.  Sebastian eventually settled for the first runner-up honors while Lo was second runner-up.

Tony Sikimhua ruled the superseniors (70 years old and above) class with a net score of 61 while runner-up honors went to Boy Gonzalez with 66.

Sol Pasion topped the ladies division with a net score of 61 while Rachel ‘Che-che’ Darnal was runner-up with 68.

Manny Castro was champion of the guest division with a net score of 63 followed by Gaudioso Melendez with 66 as first runner-up and Pedrito Buenavista with 67 as second runner-up. (FREEMAN)