BAGUIO CITY – Like a sleeping giant which suddenly woke up, San Miguel-Northern Cement Corp. climbed three notches in the leader board to take a slim two point lead in the premier Fil-Champ flight of the ongoing seniors division of the Fil-Am Amateur Golf Tournament.
Powered by one under 70 of team Captain Eddie Bagtas, San Miguel-NCC came out smoking Wednesday at the Camp John Hay fairways after trailing behind Camp John Hay on day one and Manila Southwoods on day two.
San Miguel fired a day three tally of 137 on the 37 of Bagtas, 35 of Chito Laureta, 33 of Rudy Amata and the 32 of Tommy Manotoc for a three day total of 342.
That as Nueva Ecija Seniors virtually wrapped up competitions in the Seniors Am-Championship with a round to go.
Pugo Adventure (Pugad) retained also good game from Goodie Ignacio who made the other sub-par performance and the team’s 129, which is good for 340.
Eight time individual titlist Fred Puckett had a 34, Ed Montenegro submitted his second 30 and Douglas Puckett added a 28 to count for Pugo, which was four down at this time of the year but pulled off a last day miracle to win by two shots on 2013 champion Megafiber.
That is one up on overnight leader Manila Southwoods which made 125 and 339 on the pair of 33s of Edmund Yee and Bong Sison, the 30 of Charlie Kim and the 29 from Herminio Maravilla and Cipriano Abdon, one of which did not count.
San Miguel actually made good its “threat” that the long hitters will have their field day at the longer CJH course as it whittled down a nine-point second round deficit and turned it into an advantage.
“That is only nine points. The thing is that, our team should not be way behind going into John Hay,” added Bagtas.
“Sa John Hay na kami makakabawi,” predicted Bagtas, who shot five birdies against two bogeys and a lone pick up, prior today’s game and indeed they pulled through.
It will be the closest competition yet in the top senior’s flight with three teams capable of winning the title as well as three persons who could be this year’s top individual player and coming from the said teams.
Bagtas of San Miguel leads with 94 points, while Ignacio of Pugad and Yee of Southwoods are merely a shot down with 93 points each.
“It was expected that we will play good during the third and fourth rounds because of Eddie (Bagtas) and Tommy (Manotoc),” said team captain Bobby Iñigo.
“Ibubuhos talaga naming sa last two days which was the game plan and the boys are playing according to plan,” added Iñigo.
Tony Olives submitted an even par 69 for 36 points as 2013 champion Megafiber moved up to fourth with 327 and two up on former tre-peat champion and first round leader Camp John Hay which made 119 points.
Arnold Duay had 30 points as Nueva Ecija made 108 at the Baguio Country Club course for a three day aggregate of 338 to virtually take the Seniors Am-Championship title with a round remaining.
Iñigo made 28, while former Nueva Ecija Governor Tomas Joson III and Ambassador to Indonesia Vidal Querol made a pair for 25s for Nueva Ecija which carries a 21 point lead on Veterans Golf (98 = 317) and 23 on B & Y Utopia (96 = 315).
“Arnold really played well and we did a good job supporting him. I mean us: myself, the governor and the ambassador and even Joel (San Vicente) who may not have scored today but has scored well the past two days,” said Iñigo.
Duay holds also a nine shot lead for the Group III individual competitions with 95 going into the last round.
Ironeagle Hebron Builders shot 104 for 283 to break a three way tie at the top spot in Regular F.
Ironeagle now holds shot lead on Team Razcals II which made 101 points.
Waterlympics Clark shot to third spot after making 95 points and 272, which is four up on day two co-leader NBI Golf Team 157 which made 89 and 268.
Team Stallion may have slowed down but it still carries a nine point lead over the Kalinga based players of Mountaineers with a round remaining in Am G.
Andy Austria again paced the Pampanga players with 24, Teddy Quizon chipped in 21, Paul Laus had 17 and former Senator Lito Lapid chipped in 13 for the team’s 75 and 279.
Kalinga Governor Elias Bulut, Jr. and Rainier Sarol fired a pair of 23s, Kalinga Vice Governor Allen Jesse Mangaoang fired a 21, while Gigi Jayme had a 20 as the Mountaineers had the flight best 87 for 270 and cut the lead of Lapid’s group to a manageable nine from 17 at the start of games at the BCC course.
GMJ 2005 Const. & Dev. Corp had 77 points for 261 for third spot which is just one up on Apo Golf Club North which also made 77.
The event is presented also by Toyota which bankrolled two Toyota Vios cars for the hole in one at the 10th and 18th holes of the BCC and CJH courses, respectively.
The event is also backed by Petron, Magnolia, SMC Global Power, Manor at Camp John Hay, Forest Lodge, Empire, RFID, GPS Tracker, Megafiber, Team Eagle, CJH Development Corporation, Rizgolf, Megafiber, Le Chef, Farmers Coffee and the CJH Trade and Cultural Center.