Poobalan-mangio tops Sta. Lucia golf

CABANATUAN—Mike Poobalan and Mike Mangio of Beverly Place emerged victorious from a threeway fight for the top plum, snatching the crown with a better threehole windup in the second leg of the Sta. Lucia Golf Tour at Lakewood Golf and Country Club here recently.

Following up on a strong runnerup finish in the opening leg last month, Poobalan and Mangio wound up tied with two other teams from the host club—Gov. Oyie Umali-Jonar Austria and Oscar Gallo/Jose Ramirez—on similar 138 totals after the two-day competition that featured the best-ball and scramble.

But their birdie-par-par scores from the 16th gave them the advantage in the countback.

It was the first time in the 10year history of the annual competition that a team from Beverly Place emerged the overall winner.

Umali and the 19-year-old Austria and Gallo/Ramirez settled for the top two spots in Division 1, one of the three divisions dominated by teams from Lakewood.

Danilo dela Cruz-Boyet Aberin led a total domination by Lakewood which took the top four places in Division 3. Hernando Cruz/Rajah Mobin scored a 157 then nipped cousins Vicente Santos and Mickey Tan of Eagle Ridge in the countback for first place.

Rex Armada and Tony Villaruel of Eagle Ridge denied another Lakewood win in Division 2 winning over Roseten Tugaff and Edwin Paras by just a stroke with a 142 aggregate.

Up next for the Sta. Lucia Tour regulars is a trip to Bangkok, Thailand—subsidized like the three local legs—serving as the third stop on Aug. 23 to 26. The series winds up at Alta Vista on Oct. 10 to 13.

Sta. Lucia Tour executive vice president Teng Santos marketing chief Mike Robles led the awarding of prizes.