by Rey Bancod

CEBU CITY – Cebu Country Club (CCC) played solidly for the second straight day and threatened to steal the limelight in the 72nd Philippine Airlines (PAL) Interclub golf team championships Wednesday.

CCC, playing in the second-tier Founders division, outperformed the elite squads in the championship class to take the halfway lead.

Aidric Chan

Martin Mendoza and Jon Joseph Alvarez fired 34 and 30 points at the Mactan Island Golf Club, respectively as CCC posted a two-day total of 245, two points better than championship division leader Del Monte.

Mark Dy and Julius Pierre Neri were the other CCC scorers with 29 and 28, respectively.

The first and only time a team from the Founders division won the Interclub was in 1988 when Aguinaldo edged Canlubang for the title.

“We were even paired in the championship flight,” recalled Thirdy Escano, a member of that 1988 team and now non-playing Manila Southwoods captain.

Overshadowed by CCC’s performance was Del Monte which is looking to end a 15-year title drought.

Two remaining holdovers of the 2004 champion team spearheaded Del Monte’s charge at the Mactan Island Golf Club.

Jovencio Lusterio Jr. and Noel Langgamin carded 37 and 34 points, respectively as Del Monte overtook defending champion Manila Southwoods.

Lusterio, 26, rattled off six birdies against three bogeys and a pickup while Langgamin, 29, added three birdies against five bogeys.

With Joel Bernaldez adding 27 and Crispin Aparilla 23, Del Monte wound up with 243, two points clear of Manila Southwoods.

Southwoods, gunning for a fifth straight crown, rode on the 36 points of Adric Chan, but incurred a two-point penalty when Korean Jae Hyun Jung holed out with a double bogey instead of picking up.

Tags: Adric Chan , Cebu Country Club , Interclub , Manila Southwoods , Martin Mendoza , Philippine Airlines , Southwoods , Thirdy Escano