Sta. Elena reigns at home, bags WGAP diadem

Sta. Elena saved its best at home, posting podium finishes in all three divisions, including a victory in Class A, as it turned what had appeared to be a tight finish into a runaway title romp in the 2019 Champion WGAP Circuit at the Sta. Elena Golf Club in Laguna recently.

With Candice Yulo firing 41 Stableford points and Divina Nemec backing her up with 36 points and Carina Ricamonte and Therese Dabao churning out a pair of 33 points, the Sta. Elena ladies pooled a 143 and edged Forest Hills (141) by two in Class A worth three points. Fernando Air Base placed third with 139.

The hosts also finished second in Class C with a 129 total worth two points, yielding the honors to Eagle Ridge, which scored a 132 while Camp Aguinaldo scored a 126 to place third. Sta. Elena also assembled a 137 and salvaged third place worth one point in Class B ruled by Camp Aguinaldo (143), which beat Villamor (139) by four.

Scorers for Sta. Elena’s Class C team were Belinda Baluyot (35), Jennifer Um-Choi (33), Helen Lisuy (31) and Kasinee Duncan (30) while its Class B members were Lily Chan (40), Nancy Ortiga (34), Mary Jane Ishihara (32) and Marilen Bantug (31).

That decisive six-point haul netted Sta. Elena a total of 22 points after the eight-leg, course-hopping circuit organized by Women’s Golf Association of the Philippines and cosponsored by Champion and Hana with San Miguel Corp., EVA Air, Alveo and Vermogen as the closing leg’s other backers.

Sharing the spotlight were Rowena Royena Bjorklund of Tagaytay Highlands, who scored a hole-in-one right on her first shot in the shotgun start on the 97-yard No. 14 using a Honma Beres No. 11 and a Volvik 33 ball, while Fernando Air Base’s Grace Montilla took the overall individual crown.