Luisita seniors leave PAL rivals gasping

Iggy Clavicilla of Luisita team celebrates after sinking a birdie at # 16 during the PAL interclub senior division at Palos Verdes in Davao city. ROMY HOMILLADA

DAVAO—Playing with a killer’s instinct, Luisita Friday fired 149 points to pad its lead over Cebu Country Club to 14 after two rounds of Senior championship division play of the Philippine Airlines Interclub.

Skipper Iggy Clavecilla and Seve Roxas-Chua each scored three-over-par 75s worth 51 points at the up-and-down Rancho Palos Verdes layout, and the Luisitans also got 47 from Pepot Inigo for the day’s best score for 296 overall.

Lor Alaan fired 50 points, Clifford Celdran had 46 and Koichi Hiroi contributed 45 for CCC’s 141 as the Cebu-based squad continued to threaten crashing the expected Luisita-Canlubang party.

Defending champion Canlubang, saving its biggest gun for the last two rounds, pooled 145 behind Dave Hernandez’ 53, but the Sugar Barons found themselves trailing by 16 from 12 overnight to remain in third spot.

The 43 of Lino Magpantay for Luisita, the 39 of Shigeo Saito for Cebu Country Club and the 45 of Canlubang captain Luigi Yulo failed to count for their respective squads.

“The thing we don’t want to do (going into the last two rounds) is to have the mentality of not wanting to lose,” the comical Clavecilla said in a very serious tone. “We should remain aggressive.”

Action remains at the well-manicured Palos Verdes layout Saturday with the final round set at soggy Apo Golf Sunday.

Tommy Manotoc plays the final two days for the Barons like former national Francis Gaston for the Luisitans.

The platinum sponsors of the 65th PAL Interclub are Mareco Broadcasting Network, Radio High, Stargate Media, Media Five, GE; while the major backers are Asia Brewery, Business Mirror and Airbus.

Also lending support are the Department of Tourism, Philippine Graphics, Boeing International Corp., Bombo Radyo, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Manila Bulletin, Moevenpick Resort & Spa Cebu, Plantation Bay, Radisson Blu Hotel and Imperial Palace Waterpark & Spa Cebu.