Founders bets crowding Southwoods on top

BACOLOD—Sean Ramos led a relatively quiet day for Manila Southwoods at tree-lined Binitin, as the powerhouse squad assembled just 115 second round points to lead the Championship division, but new forces coming from the lower bracket have emerged, with Cebu Country Club not one of them.

Ramos fired two birdies in a four-over par-74 worth 32 points, and former junior world champion Kristoffer Arevalo and Masaichi Otake of Japan backed him up with 29 each with Jun Jun Plana contributing 25 for Southwoods for a 237 total, just three points ahead of Forest Hills, which is playing in the Founders bracket.

Another Founders entry, Tagaytay Highlands, is running third overall with a 230 aggregate after a se­cond straight 115 even as first round Southwoods pursuer Luisita floundered big-time on Day 2 with just 104 points to drop to 221 overall.

Del Monte took a share of third with Tagaytay Highlands after day-best 124 built around the 35 of old hand Romeo Jaraula and the 32 of Crispin Aparilla also at Binitin.

And while the Carmona-based squad sustained its march toward touching off a new streak of titles, defen_ding overall champion Cebu Country Club’s repeat hopes continued to thin by the day after a dismal 109 over at Marapara for 225 overall.

The tournament played the Championship and Foun­ders brackets on different courses on all four days, and Southwoods nonplaying captain Thirdy Escano believes that this was a flaw right from the start.

“It’s unfair to all of the teams,” he said. “All of us will be playing on different conditions, on different courses in the last two days. It can work against us or against them (the other contenders).”

For the second straight day, Inigo Raymundo sui­ted up and led Forest Hills, this time with 34 points that came with the 30 of Jude Eustaquio.