Young guns lift Southwoods to 8-pt edge

BAGUIO, Philippines – Manila Southwoods leaned on its youth brigade to blast the opposition with a solid 131, posting an eight-point lead over Srixon Forest Hills at the start of the Fil Championship of the Fil-Am Golf Invitational presented by San Miguel at the Baguio Country Club here yesterday.

Ira Alido fired a one-over 62 in the wind worth 35 points while fellow 15-year-old Yuto Katsuragawa, Kristoffer Arevalo, 17, and Ryan Corpus, also 15, backed him up with 34, 32 and 30 points, respectively, as the Carmona-based squad built an early cushion in its drive for a ninth championship in the annual event.

“I had a steady game although I missed a number of birdie putts,” said Alido, who had birdie opportunities on Nos. 1, 5, 9, 12, 13, 14 and 17.

Aidric Chan, another 15-year-old shotmaker, didn’t count for Southwoods with a 29 in the five-to-play, four-to-count format event.

Rupert Zaragosa failed to match Alido’s output in the featured flight, settling for a two-over 63 worth 34 points as the former national champion led Forest Hills’ 123 that included a 33 from JP de Claro and a pair of 28s from Jude Eustaquio and Luigi Guerero.

Zaragosa helped key San Miguel’s come-from-behind win over Southwoods last year but the country’s top amateur has moved to Forest Hills, while another former San Miguel mainstay Lanz Uy has linked up with Southwoods’ Am Championship team.

Royal Northwoods reeled from a two-point penalty and slid to third with a 121 while defending champion San Miguel-Northern Cement struggled despite an early start, winding up with a 117 to fall 14 points off the pace.

Richard Joson paced Northwoods with 34 points while Carlo Villaroman added 32 and Luis Castro chipped in a 31.

Richnell Albano, Northwoods’ fourth scorer, actually made a 26 but was meted a two-point deduction when he putted instead of a pick-up after a bogey on No. 15.