Strong finish gives Orchard Founders title

CEBU—Zach Castro gunned down six birdies in a four-under-par 68 worth 40 points on Saturday, lifting Orchard to a closing 130 at Cebu Country Club for the Founders division title of the 74th Philippine Airlines (PAL) Interclub golf team championship.

Starting the day just two points ahead of Alabang and Riviera, Castro’s sterling round proved the difference as Orchard tallied a 72-hole 470 for a seven-shot win over Riviera, who tallied a fourth round 125. Forest Hills rallied with a 121 for 456, nipping Negros Occidental Golf by a point for third.

Alabang sputtered with a 113 for 451 as the curtains fell on the hotly-contested division that had Orchard sharing the stage with centerpiece championship division winner Manila Southwoods, Aviator class winner Alta Vista, Sportswriters division titlist Club Filipino de Cebu and Alta Vista II, which ruled the Friendship division by 27 points over Liloan Golf.

Castro played the back nine—where the Founders division started—at four-under, before coming home with two birdies and two bogeys.

Tristan Jefferson Padilla added 33 points, Hongzheng Lu accounted for 32 and the 25 of Beejay Chua rounded out scoring for Orchard, which discarded the 23 of actor Derek Ramsay.

Eric Gozo paced Riviera with 35 and Jek-Jek Mendoza fired 34, with Forest Hills getting 32s from Inigo Raymundo and Augusto Pacheco. INQ