Much appreciation to these people below who made SGC’s banquet a successful and beautiful night. Well done.

Last round of golf, end of season. Where – Kingsforest golf course. Temp conditions – 24 degrees Celsius, sunny. Visions of winning or losing in diverse challenging competitions that came to reality or not, were all in the record books. SGC commends its members for another wonderful golf season. We have done well. Undeniably.

Results were in, so who were the eventual winners?

This member’s golf résumé was already filled with some remarkable accomplishments. Aforementioned rundown of his credentials as he was headed into the final day seeking his sixth, yes you read it right, sixth POY victory in 33 years. His last POY conquest came fourteen years ago in 2003. Joey Cruz who was giving it all to reinforce his chances of longevity competing and staying healthy, deservingly victorious winning this year’s three majors – POY (Player of the Year), SPOY (Senior Player of the year), and MIP (Most Improved Player). Winning these three majors in the same year was never done before by anyone. Did I tell you that he also moonlighted as president of SGC? Hard work paid off, did it not?

Here was why Joey won these big three awards. While playing with him for the last five games, he showed us brilliant display of firing shots at all cylinders shooting the lights out of his fellow competitors. One by one the contenders frittered away their opportunities. He might not win a day prize or two but in his own driven controlled ways, his consistent play, refusal to make huge mistakes proved to be the one that left him ultimately the last man standing.

Month 5, & Super Series 5 Contest: Playing exceptionally consistent for three rounds out of five, would reward you the Month 5 trophy for this contest. This was an impressive win by Bingoy Peña. Why? According to our previous records, nobody, just nobody yet had broken the record of breaking total net score for three collective rounds of 200. He did it in sparkling 198. To add to his hardware collection – this was what materialised when carding the lowest net score for the day – he seized the much-coveted Super Series 5 as well as the day’s prize with a net score of 68. Not bad, huh?

Grand Finals Champion: Tough conditions, tough last two golf courses, you could pick one guy to shoot the lowest aggregate net scores to save your life, I’d take this gritty unwavering member. After the final round, Manny Chea emerged from the shadows of the leading contenders to this contest and made a dramatic comeback to consolidate his win by combined final two Sundays net score of 145.

Year’s Lowest Gross Champion: A category given every year to a player who cards the best gross scores for a season. Yes, gross scores. Its just like taking equity out of a golfer’s capabilities to compete with higher caliber golfers because of the absence of correlated handicap to that individual. Manny Chea & Jimmy Manguerra alternatively showing dominance winning this category year after year. These two members are not demonstrating signs of slowing down for the coming years. It is the nine- time winner of this contest Jimmy M, who took the hardware this year out grossing the defending three-time winner Manny C. Why can’t we rename this contest to their names?

Lowest gross scores of the day: These two gentlemen provided the field with glittering performance that every player would like to emulate. By posting a round gross score of 77, players in their respective foursome were in awe to see an exhibition of very good routine like turn. Who else would do it but the power hitting Manny Chea and the smooth swinging Dave Nelson. Imposing.

 

 

 

 

 

Day prize winners: As mentioned above, Bingoy Peña with his net score of 68 there was another player who posted the same net score to win this contest. Dave Nelson who posted an in-your-face even gross front nine score, could have taken the whole winning spot if not of a little struggle at the back nine. Still an amazing accomplishment.

 

 

 

 

 

Day’s closest to the pin contest:

Hole 4   Lina Mayo

Hole 7   Seho Oh

Hole 14 Bingoy Peña

Hole 17 Jimmy Manguerra

Multiple round winners of the year:

Jojo Dizon 4 wins
Bert Cerrudo 4 wins
Bingoy Pena 3 wins
Ron Wilson 3 wins
Mar DeVeyra 2 wins
Jimmy Manguerra 2 wins

Most successive wins:

Bingoy Pena 3 wins in a row
Ron Wilson 3 wins in a row
Jojo Dizon 2 wins in a row

Lowest gross & net of the year:

Jimmy Manguerra, 73 gross July 23, 2017 at Kingsforest
Ron Wilson, 62 net September 3, 2017 at Westview

Noteworthy shots in a round:

Ross Bautista – Ace at hole 5 at Glen Cedars, June 25, 2017
Jojo Dizon – Eagle at hole 12 at Royal Woodbine, July 2, 2017
Julio Rodriguez – Eagle at hole 4 at Kingsforest, July 9, 2017
Mike Montilla – Eagle at hole 5 at Lakeland/Westview, August 6, 2017

Most welcomed new members:

Erlando Ibañez, Ron Protacio, & Jess Velarde

2016 champions:

POY – Rickey Reyes

SPOY – Rey Plaza

MIP – Rickey Reyes

SGC wholeheartedly thanks its members and those who supported and helped this summer pastime a successful event.

Lots of prayers to SGC’s ex-members who are no longer with us anymore, Tony Domingo & Roscoe Reyes. May they both RIP.

Congratulations to all winners. Have a healthy winter, one and all.

 

This is it folks. One game to go and say aloha to our favorite summer pastime of playing golf. Where did the season go? It was just like yesterday when we were getting ready for our first game of the season at Century Pines some seven months ago. It was still a springy like temperature as we were dressed and bundled up properly for that kind of weather. Nevertheless, we were excited and raring to go to start the season.

Ahhhhhh………time flies when you are having fun.

An unbecoming weather temps in October as if our wishes were satisfactorily granted, eighteen degrees Celsius at last Sunday’s SGC round of golf at Westview golf course greeted twenty-five players with a bright sun smiling all day at us. A perfect day comfortably leaning more on the cooler side. Aspiring contenders jockeying for positions hoping for good turn of events favoring their game to catch the leaders, found a roadblock in the form of Westview golf course. This challenging and difficult course could bite you in the you know what if you were not careful and not bringing your ‘A” game. Time and time again, we got the same impression of degree of scoring with difficulty with this golf course, in truest form. But lo and behold, this was not the buzz that was being heard through the grapevine. As a matter of fact, a number of players loved this golf course because of its difficulty – undulating fairways, fast sloping greens, tree lined on every side of the fairways, but it was the course management’s ill-fated treatment of SGC organization as a whole. Not only for the steep green fee they charged at this time of year but the way the course was prepared for us – missing blue tee boxes, shortage of golf carts, aerated greens without notice, etc. SGC did not beg for premium fees rendered through all these years we played here but then again, giving us a little respect would put us in a very consoled, fitting feeling, wouldn’t you agree? So much for the crabbiness, wait ‘til next year? Not.

So, who defied the difficulty that this course had to offer? This member with a deafening silent demeanor when he played just going about his own business, was the vibrant winner of the days’ prize. With the only player finishing a round in the high 60s, Seho Oh with his very slow, proverbial backswing grabbed the Nassau back nine and total net score of 69. Admired his humility that preceded everything else. Seho who was not fond of using the internet, could perhaps get this accolade to him in some other ways. At least we tried. He sure deserved it.

Julio Rodriguez with a penchant of winning something every week, seized the front nine.

Closest to the pin: Soft-spoken Dave Nelson got the best of the sharpshooters by edging them with his precise shot at the Middle course fifth hole. Jojo Dizon’s shot at Lakeland 7th hole beat two other guys prior.

Grand Finals: With the culmination of this contest next Sunday, here are the top four players who established the biggest chance of winning it after posting lowest net scores last week.
1. Seho Oh 69
2. Jess Velearde 71
3. Jimmy manguerra 73
4. JC Montilla 73

Major, major threat. I may sound like a broken record but inevitability, performance shown from week’s conclusion seemed to fall convincingly to Joey Cruz’ determination to take all three major awards – POY, SPOY, & MIP. Never done before. Sorry to say that the advantage turned out to be a mirage for those who are trying to catch him. Remember those days when Tiger Woods played an event? You could hear other players saying, “We are playing for second place.” Indeed. Take a bow Joey.

Congratulations to the winners.