Veloso, pal wrest one-point lead in Sta. Elena Cup

Playing lightning-fast greens a newly-crowned Philippine Open champion described as "the best in the world", Alex Yaptangco and Ramon Veloso took the headstart in a virtual putting contest as they grabbed a one-point overall lead after the completion of the first round of play in the sixth Sta. Elena Cup in Cabuyao, Laguna.

Competing in Class C, Yaptangco came through with a day-best 44 points and Veloso tallied 36 for 80 points that put them on top of the 220-team field in the member-guest invitational of the prestigious Sta. Elena Golf Club.

The chase for the Sta. Elena Cup remained tight going into the weekend battle as Class A leaders William Bailey and Jonathan Thorp stayed just a point behind at 79 and 10 teams just five points or less adrift.

This year’s Sta. Elena Cup is sponsored by world cellular phone leader Nokia, Adidas Taylor Made, the International Container Terminal Services, Inc., Royal Carribean Cruise and Northwest Airlines.

A seven-night Royal Carribean cruise will be the main prize in tonight’s awarding ceremonies on top of cash jackpots worth P500,000 and P300,000 and more than a million pesos worth of merchandise.

Rick Gibson, recent winner of the Philippine Open and a Sta. Elena member who got so impressed with the greens he called them "the best I’ve seen", has also been invited to grace the awards rites where a seafood festival specially prepared by the club’s topnotch chefs will be served.

Manoling Chan and Juami Rocha grabbed the low gross lead with their similar rounds of two-over-par 74.

Trailing Bailey-Thorp in Class A were Mike Romulo and Tonton Asistio (78), Peter Chan-Dick Tan Yu (77) and Chan-Rocha (75).

The Class B leadership, meanwhile, went to Jamias Kasigod and Peping Cedo who had 76, a point ahead of Edward Tiu and William Di and two points clear of Telesforo Gana-Ricky de Castro and Fely Lopez-Jan Golez.

Yaptangco and Veloso will play their weekend round five points ahead of Senen Matoto and Cookie LaO with the teams of Jimmy Sy-Aris San Agustin, Fred De Veyra-Jimmy Bautista, Francisco Colayco-Ricardo Alarilla and Andy Co-Virgilio Co sharing third at 73.