Still, Mbala will be it
Still , only Ben Mbala can decide the Ateneo-La Salle Sunday [Dec. 3] clash for the UAAP Men’s basketball crown.
He was stopped in Game 1 and Ateneo won. But not in Game 2, when he powered La Salle to a come-from-behind victory by firing 20 points and grabbing 16 rebounds—towering figures against his meaningless Game 1 effort of only 8 points.
So, did Ateneo really stop Mbala in Game 1 or Mbala simply stopped himself?
Clue is Game 2. AMATEUR GOLF. Baguio City is virtually home for me again from yesterday up to December 16 as I cover the 68th Fil-Am Golf Invitational at both Baguio Country Club and Camp John Hay. I will likewise reprise my role as Rulesman together with Jake P. Ayson.
The two-week event has again drawn nearly 1,200 entries from here and abroad, earning anew the tag from the World Guinness of Records as the world’s biggest golf tournament in the world, participants-wise.
Again, Toyota is staking a Vios as a hole-in-one prize, with San Miguel Corporation as a major supporter once again.
“We are more than ready again to score a huge success,” said John Hay’s Tim Allen, tournament co-chair with Anthony de Leon of Baguio Country Club.
“Our tournament has always been tourism-oriented as we draw thousands of players yearly,” De Leon said. “We pray our city officials do their share in supporting our mission.”
AMATEUR. Here’s a glass to First Gen’s Tonito Payumo for winning Division 1 honors (handicap 0-5) in the just-ended World Amateur Golfers Championship and Invitational in Malaysia.
Payumo, once the country’s No. 1 junior tennis player, was one of 11 Filipinos in the event that also saw his compatriot Oliver Gan finish third. Petr Bilek of the Czech Republic placed second four strokes behind Payumo (74- 70-81-70).
Mabel Salivio settled for third in Division 3 (handicap 11-15) in the 23rd staging held in Kuala Lumpur, drawing nearly 400 players from 38 countries.
Payumo’s teammates were Gerald Katigbak, Augusto Cruz, Marc Leviste, Alfredo Abarientos, Don Padilla, Mickey Tan, Francis Talion and Errol Chua.
Kudos to the PAL-supported delegation headed by Errol Chua and Edward Co and backstopped by Sta. Lucia Land, winning the much-coveted Tumba Trophy (named after tournament founder Steve Tumba).
TIGER. If only for his Friday’s first-round, three-under-par 69 in the Hero Challenge in the Bahamas, I salute Tiger Woods’ comeback effort. But is he really back? We’ll see.
If only for his Friday’s first-round, threeunder-par 69 in the Hero Challenge in the Bahamas, I salute Tiger Woods’ comeback effort. But is he really back? We’ll see.