When wedged between dreams and daybreak, Tommy Manotoc would probably opt to linger in fantasyland a little bit more.
There’s this dance to savor with his Cinderella-like team to the 16th Asian Games golf tournament.
Tommy’s golfers continued to wow the gallery at the tricky Dragon Lake golf course in Guangzhou.
Mature beyond his years, Miguel Tabuena—a grandson of the late Games and Amusements Board chair Louie Tabuena—led 76 other golfers in the individual race after the second round.
Although he slid to second place Thursday, he could still pounce back tomorrow to win the gold at the expense of South Korea’s Kim Meen-whee.
The 16-year-old Tabuena’s poised par-busting raised the prospect of the Philippines picking up the individual gold for the first time in 24 years. Our own Ramon Brobio won the title during golf’s inaugural staging in the 1986 Seoul Asian Games.
The Southern California junior PGA champ’s feat after three rounds of the Asiad’s golf championships also helped maintain his team’s second-place standing in a tie with Thailand, behind the powerhouse Koreans.
So far, coach Manotoc’s fearless forecast for his charges is right on the money.
He told me prior to Guangzhou that everyone on the team had a fighting chance for the individual gold. Tommy also honestly admitted making team supporters hot under the collar that Jerson Balasabas, Mark Fernando, Carlos Marcel Puyat and Tabuena would climb a hill for a podium finish in the team category.
But he said golf is a funny game governed by changing moods and swings on the course and the dynamic conditions of the course itself.
Golf’s dream-like run in Guangzhou gives the Philippine contingent a ton of good hope to mine medals in unexpected places.
So far, the country’s medal tally of two golds, one silver and four bronzes—all from non-Olympic events—is way off our modest harvest in Doha four years ago.
To paraphrase Robert Frost, we have miles to go before we sleep as the Asiad enters its second week.
* * *
On his way up to what the New York Times calls the Mount Rushmore of boxing royalty, Manny Pacquiao has defeated 13 Mexican boxing greats and near greats.
Now pundits are saying that, for a fight or two before the representative from the lone district of Sarangani trades his gloves for politics for good, he should train his sights on American boxers for a change.
With a fight against the unbeaten but indecisive Floyd Mayweather Jr. becoming more and more uncertain by the minute, who should come forward to face one of the greatest boxers that ever lived?
Me! says Sugar Shane Mosley—the world welterweight champ from Pomona, California.
Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times is reporting that Mosley has “reached out” to Pacquiao’s promoter, Bob Arum, and that Arum in turn has praised Mosley’s persistence.
The Top Rank Promotions chief told Pugmire that Mosley is “being a real man” and proving himself worthy of consideration for a fight with Pacquiao.
“We have a birthday party Dec. 17 in the Philippines for Manny,” Arum reported to Pugmire. “If Mayweather has not indicated his availability by then, Shane Mosley is a real possibility.”
Is the 39-year-old Mosley setting himself up for the slaughter?
Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach says Mosley “needs to retire.”
“But I punch harder and faster than (Antonio) Margarito,” Mosley counters. “I’ll land more body shots,” he assured the Times.
Tommy’s golfers continued to wow the gallery at the tricky Dragon Lake golf course in Guangzhou.
Mature beyond his years, Miguel Tabuena—a grandson of the late Games and Amusements Board chair Louie Tabuena—led 76 other golfers in the individual race after the second round.
Although he slid to second place Thursday, he could still pounce back tomorrow to win the gold at the expense of South Korea’s Kim Meen-whee.
The 16-year-old Tabuena’s poised par-busting raised the prospect of the Philippines picking up the individual gold for the first time in 24 years. Our own Ramon Brobio won the title during golf’s inaugural staging in the 1986 Seoul Asian Games.
The Southern California junior PGA champ’s feat after three rounds of the Asiad’s golf championships also helped maintain his team’s second-place standing in a tie with Thailand, behind the powerhouse Koreans.
So far, coach Manotoc’s fearless forecast for his charges is right on the money.
He told me prior to Guangzhou that everyone on the team had a fighting chance for the individual gold. Tommy also honestly admitted making team supporters hot under the collar that Jerson Balasabas, Mark Fernando, Carlos Marcel Puyat and Tabuena would climb a hill for a podium finish in the team category.
But he said golf is a funny game governed by changing moods and swings on the course and the dynamic conditions of the course itself.
Golf’s dream-like run in Guangzhou gives the Philippine contingent a ton of good hope to mine medals in unexpected places.
So far, the country’s medal tally of two golds, one silver and four bronzes—all from non-Olympic events—is way off our modest harvest in Doha four years ago.
To paraphrase Robert Frost, we have miles to go before we sleep as the Asiad enters its second week.
* * *
On his way up to what the New York Times calls the Mount Rushmore of boxing royalty, Manny Pacquiao has defeated 13 Mexican boxing greats and near greats.
Now pundits are saying that, for a fight or two before the representative from the lone district of Sarangani trades his gloves for politics for good, he should train his sights on American boxers for a change.
With a fight against the unbeaten but indecisive Floyd Mayweather Jr. becoming more and more uncertain by the minute, who should come forward to face one of the greatest boxers that ever lived?
Me! says Sugar Shane Mosley—the world welterweight champ from Pomona, California.
Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times is reporting that Mosley has “reached out” to Pacquiao’s promoter, Bob Arum, and that Arum in turn has praised Mosley’s persistence.
The Top Rank Promotions chief told Pugmire that Mosley is “being a real man” and proving himself worthy of consideration for a fight with Pacquiao.
“We have a birthday party Dec. 17 in the Philippines for Manny,” Arum reported to Pugmire. “If Mayweather has not indicated his availability by then, Shane Mosley is a real possibility.”
Is the 39-year-old Mosley setting himself up for the slaughter?
Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach says Mosley “needs to retire.”
“But I punch harder and faster than (Antonio) Margarito,” Mosley counters. “I’ll land more body shots,” he assured the Times.
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