Ira Alido. Photo from Inquirer Golf
CLARK FIELD, Pampanga—Manila Southwoods’ shock troopers held fort Thursday and the defending champions held Canlubang at bay to forge a two-way tie for the lead halfway through the 69th edition of the PAL Interclub Men’s championships.
Young Ira Alido had 39 points after a three-under-par 69 at Mimosa Complex’s Acacia and Lake View nines, Brixton Aw and Jets Sajulga contributed 35s and former club champion Ryan Monsalve’s 29 rounded out Southwoods’ day-best 138 for a two-round total of 275 like the Sugar Barons.
Overnight leader Canlubang drew 36s from many-time national champion Rupert Zaragosa and Carlo Villaroman, a 35 from Luis Castro and a 30 from Gab Manotoc for 137.
The race for the centerpiece division title is fast shaping up to be a two-way battle after Luisita and Orchard lost significant ground.
Luisita got 38 points from Korean Brian Kim and 36 from Luis Miguel Guerrero but could only tally 135 for the day after Basti Lorenzo and Jingy Tuason managed 31 and 30, respectively.
Del Monte pooled 126 points through the 34s of Noel Langamin and Raul Miñoza and the 29s from Jovy Lusterio and the veteran Yoyong Velez, and improved to fourth with a 250 total.
Orchard, the 2014 champion, struggled with 124 after getting 33 points from Kristoffer Arevalo, 31s from Niko Santiano and King Stehmeier and 29 from JP De Claro for 249.
“I was surprised with the way I scored,” said the 16-year-old Alido, whose squad threw away the 27 of former pro Vince Lauron.
Both powerhouses already played their entire lineups for the first 36 holes, with Southwoods still eligible to field Justin Quiban and Yuto Katsuragawa either today or in the final round.
The Sugar Barons, meanwhile, still have the pro-bound Jobim Carlos at their disposal.
Cebu CC, a long-time Championship Division campaigner, tallied 118 for 228 and wrested a 3-point lead over Forest Hills and first-round leader Villamor (225) in the Founders bracket at the Mountain View layout.
Interclub sponsors: People Asia, Travelife, Mareco Broadcasting Network (Crossover), Manila Broadcasting Corporation, Airbus, Business Mirror and Philippine National Bank.
Other supporters: Philippine Daily Inquirer, Inquirer.net, Plantation Bay Resort and Spa, Tanduay Distillers, Asia Brewery, Splash Corporation, RFM Corporation, Goldilocks, Eastgate Publishing Corporation, Robinsons Land and Rolls-Royce.