UPSTART BATTLES FIVE-TIME CHAMP
Five-time champion Eric Deen faces newbie Tyler Po in CCC finals today Deen hopes to use mindset, experience versus Po in 36-hole final Po, a CCC jungolfer, is the reigning PHL amateur match play champion
A veteran with five club titles to his name and a formidable first-timer will test each other’s mettle in the 36-hole championship match play for the coveted 2017 Men’s Club title at the Cebu Country Club (CCC) today.
The veteran Eric Deen returns to the finals after a long hiatus, displaying solid performance to outlast foes in the matchplay round. He had a 4 and 3 victory against Jan-Jan Ybañez in the quarterfinals and scored a 7 and 6 rout over Marc Gonzalez in the semifinals.
The young prospect Peter Tyler Po, meanwhile, enters the finals for the first time after defeating two-time defending champion Mark Anthony Dy, 5 and 3, in the semis. He won against Niño Bascon, 4 and 2, in the quarters.
“It’s been a long time since the last time I got to the club’s championship finals. I can’t recall when was the last time before this one,” Deen, 53, told SunStar Cebu.
“It’s my first time. It feels great to be in the finals. It’s also an honor to be in the club championship,” said Po in a separate interview.
Deen, a long-time PAL Interclub mainstay, was the top-seeded golfer after the two-day qualifying round last week, while the reigning Philippine Amateur Open champion Po was seeded third heading into the matchplay. Both Deen and Po had a bye in the matchplay’s first round.
“I’m not really expecting anything in the finals. I’ll just play my game. It’s a new experience for me as I have never played with him (Deen) in a matchplay tournament. We once played but it was in a practice round,” said Po, an incoming Grade 12 student of Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu (SHS-AdC).
For Deen, it will be the mind set and concentration that would be the keys for the daunting 36hole finals.
“Concentrate more. Try to relax because if you get tense it would be hard. Relax and hope for the best on Saturday,” said the soft-spoken Deen.
Deen said that he never thought of making it to the finals, and he is happy just being there.
“I will try and give my best but if it doesn’t work out, I’m already happy (with my finish) because I wasn’t even expecting to make it to the semis before the tournament,” he said.
With Deen being the more experienced player, Po will be banking on his youth as his advantage on the championship round.
“I never played in the PAL Interclub, it’s was more amateur tournaments for me. They (veteran players) have different experiences compared to mine,” said Po, who has been a junior golfer for CCC since he was seven years old. “The game plan is the same as in my last game. Hit well, hit the fairways, hit greens and make putts.”
The championship duel starts at 7:30 a.m. The first 18 holes will played in the morning, while the final 18 will be in the afternoon. /