S’woods virtual winner in Fil Championship

BAGUIO CITY – With Yuto Katsuragawa and Aidric Chan shooting a three under 66 for 39 points, the Manila Southwoods assembled a penultimate round of 149 and padded its lead to 42 to virtually clinch the premier Fil Championship title in the 69th FilAm Invitational golf tournament at the Camp John Hay yesterday.

This as the Am Championship team upped its lead to 51 points, breaking last year’s 50-point margin, after tallying 119 points for 396 at the Baguio Country Club course.

Katsuragawa’s score was later tied by Chan, who birdied the difficult nine after driving to the bunk, then blasted to within a putter for the birdie.

Carl Corpus bucked a fourover at the back nine with a fourunder at the front nine to walk home with an even par for 36 points, while Aguri Iwasaki had his best round of one over for 35. Junjun Plana had a 32 and did not count.

Baguio Country Club shot a closing round 92 for 408 points for a 13-point victory in Fil B Friday at the CJH course.

Royal Northwoods now has to contend with Forest Hills for the second place after shooting 138 points for 373 and a six-point lead on the latter, last year’s runner-up.

Local boy Luigi Paolo Wong had an even par for 36, Nik Gatmaytan 35, Carlo Villaroman 34 and Raymund Sangil 33 for Northwoods.

Forest Hills tallied 136 for 367 from the 36 of Inigo Raymundo, 35 of Jude Eustaquio and Rupert Zaragosa and 30 of ß Dan Cruz.

Mizuno X-1R had 121 points for 328.