TAGAYTAY CITY, Philippines -- Ateneo de Manila University took the final battle, but a victory in the singles matches could not prevent De La Salle University from winning the war.
The Ateneo Blue Eagles scored a 10.5-7.5 victory over the La Salle Archers in the final-day singles of their Ryder Cup-style match play Friday and all they could do was make the scores closer than they were overnight, 24-18.
La Salle formally won the event for the third straight year with Miko Alejandro again standing at the forefront of its searing charge.
He whipped Gab Atienza, 5 and 3, for a perfect five points and got the Archers on track in another wind-swept day at the rolling Tagaytay Midlands golf course in this resort city outside Manila.
Former Asia-Pacific Seniors champion Tommy Manotoc jumped out to an early 4-hole lead and never looked back, cruising to a 2-and-1 win over Marty Ilagan, before Justin Tambunting scored the biggest shocker of the day by outlasting reigning RP Amateur champion Anthony Fernando.
Crucial victory
Tambunting birdied his last three holes and erased a 2-hole deficit with five holes to play in what turned out to be one of the most crucial victories for the Archers, who took a nine-point lead going into yesterday’s matches and needed just five points to clinch the duel.
“Our mind-set was to go out there and take no prisoners,” said Manotoc, who manages the Calatagan Golf and Country Club in Batangas. “They [Blue Eagles] fought very hard and made us work for it. Overall, it was a good match.”
Fernando, whose inclusion into the Ateneo roster sort of leveled the playing field, wound up winless in five matches, having drawn just one match and losing all the rest.
La Salle actually clinched the match after just 10 matches, but the rival schools refused to call the other matches that were still being played.
Ateneo drew first blood as 14-year-old Marcel Puyat overwhelmed the favored King Stehmeier, 9-and-7, but La Salle quickly regained momentum behind the 19-year-old Alejandro and Manotoc who both in a couple of matches behind.
Anya Tanpinco, who won the individual silver medal and helped the Filipino ladies to a second-place finish in the recent Southeast Asian Games in Thailand, was also in complete command against Leana Farrales and prevailed, 3 and 2, for La Salle.
Francis Gaston, the former Philippine Amateurs and Seniors champion, and Kim Hong halved the points in their respective matches with Jun Jun Plana and Lovelyn Guioguio for the crucial fifth point La Salle needed at the start of the day.
Also chalking up victories for the Archers were JP Reyes, a 2-and-1 winner over former Ateneo basketball player Jeric Hechanova, and Justin Limjap, who tripped Benjie Sarmiento, 4 and 2.
John Gobing, Mari Hechanova, Jingy Tuason, Jovi Neri, Yoyong Velez, Bayani Garcia, Joel Bernaldez and former Asia-Pacific Seniors’ champion Iggy Clavecilla posted victories for the Eagles.
Lawyer Manoling Chan of Ateneo held seasoned Miko Yee to a draw in the final match of the dual meet.
Gobing was a 4-and-3 victor over Jenz Tecson; Mari Hechanova pulled off a 2-and-1 win over Marco Olives; Tuason turned back the long-hitting Oliver Gan, 5 and 3; Neri took the measure of Bones Floro, 2-and-1; Velez crushed Sammy Sy, 4-and-2; Garcia nipped Chuckie Hong, 2-and-1; Bernaldez upset Raffy Garcia, 3-up, and Clavecilla dominated Brixton Aw, 3 and 2.
First posted 06:09:31 (Manila time) December 22, 2007
Musong R. Castillo - Philippine Daily Inquirer
