Just in case you were not out of town, there was no way of missing this eventful event that took place somewhere in Atlanta, Georgia for golf fanatics. Tiger Woods won his first match in 5 years, an unbelievable comeback going down in golf lore. His last win was at WGC golf tournament in 2013.

How did he do it? Tiger’s comeback

Here’s a quote from NBC:

NBC Sports Group’s final round coverage of the TOUR Championship on Sunday (3:00-6:15 p.m. ET) earned a 5.21 Overnight rating, as Tiger Woods claimed his 80th career victory, and his first in five years. The telecast is up 206% vs. 2017 (1.70).  It also becomes the highest-rated telecast in the history of the FedExCup Playoffs (2007-’18) and the highest-rated PGA TOUR telecast in 2018 (excluding majors). Coverage peaked from 5:30-6p (7.19) as Woods finished his round and as Justin Rose was being crowned the FedExCup champion, only trailing the peaks for The Masters (11.03) and PGA Championship (8.28) in 2018. The extended coverage window (1:30-6:15 p.m. ET) posted at 4.35 Overnight rating, which is the highest-rated TOUR Championship telecast on record (2000-’18).

How much did Tiger earn last Sunday, did you ask?

Tour Championship win: $1.620 million; FedEx Cup Bonus: $3 million for second place.

Going back to SGC’s twenty-third game last Sunday at Century Pines golf course, it was a cool eighteen degrees Celsius with a bit of gushing easterly wind in the Hamilton peninsula. Twenty-three players showed up and played with contenders battling it out for major accolades before closing out the season with only two more games to go. For those who were trying to catch up, time was running out but never forget the remaining two games. It is the Grand Finals where top five players with two lowest aggregate net scores win a prize.

Let us get to Sunday’s scramble.

He’s baaaaaaaaack. Joey Cruz let loose last Sunday with a net score of 62. Joey’s performance rewarded himself of a complete sweep – all Nassau corners & day prize. He also broke the lowest net record of the season by a stroke held previously by Mar DeVeyra & Bong Munson with 63. The catch was, this was his only win so far and what a win this was. More to come you’d think? Surely think so.

Two other members signed low net scores in the 60s – the up & coming Fred Halili with net 66 and one of our promising newcomers, Louie Romero with 68. Very nice indeed.

It is getting tight to all three major races as well as the last monthly race.

Let’s start with Month 5 contest: Ray Macapagal still leads by one over the surprising Fred Halili followed by ‘Hey, I am pain free’ Jun Paculaba, seven behind RayMac.

POY: JC Montilla still leads Jimmy Manguerra by a meager three strokes. It was only a stroke a week ago. This race used to be a race between JC & Jimmy but someone is making this interesting. Mike Montilla made it known that this race was not over yet and made these two looking over their shoulders. With only nine behind the leader and six from second place, Mike cut down the lead to nine from fifteen. This one turns out to be a nerve breaking contest. Who will prevail with two more games unaccounted for?

SPOY: With a net of 62, Joey Cruz jumped four people from fifth place twelve strokes behind to take over the lead from the idle Bert Cerrudo who now trails Joey by four strokes. Seho Oh drops down to third nine strokes off. Bingoy Peña grabs fourth place followed by Mar DeVeyra in fifth thirteen and fourteenth behind the leader respectively.

MIP: Sorry folks, but I think this race is over because of the huge gap created by the leader. This one may I say, is in the bag for JC Montilla. Fred Halili switches places with Manny Marquez, second and third respectively. Mike Montilla holds on to fourth while Jimmy Manguerra regains fifth place.

It was soaring hot together with lingering, sticky humidity at twenty-six degrees Celsius at Lakeridge Links golf course at last Sunday’s round of golf. Never bothered the twenty-four players enjoying the fourth last game of the season. Boy, how time flies when you are having fun. Anyway, this golf course seemed to spook a lot of players because of its tough layout, nevertheless a beautiful design. As a matter of fact, there was a split rational from the members about playing this golf course for next season. Understandably those players living in the west side of TO were acting negatively including this course in our schedule for next year because of its not so near location aside from being a little pricey with the green fee.

Another high scoring affair happened just like the round of golf a week ago. Only one player submitted a net score in the 60s while a bunch of five people shared second place with a distant net score of 74. Fred Halili just joined the list of multiple winners by signing a net scorecard of 69 grabbing the day prize for his second win of the season. The last time SGC played this golf course sometime in May, Fred placed second fiddle to Ed Ilao with a net score of 72. He decided at this time he was not playing second to none. Is Fred giving us a hint to play this golf course maybe five times next year?

Nassau corner winners: An inspired POY contender Jimmy Manguerra owned the back nine with an even gross score of 36 while sharing the total net score of 74 with two others – Bert Cerrudo & Jun Paculaba.

Jess Velarde grabbed the sole possession of the Nassau front nine with a net score of 35. We’ve been hearing a lot of this player a lot lately. Good showing Jess.

Closer to the pin contest: An almost impossible pin location that was placed closer to the edge and the water proved no worry for Fred Halili with a nice shot on the seventh par 3 hole. Another in play water hazard hole that was poorly judged by most players, claimed a lot of golf balls but not Jess Velarde’s at seventeenth hole. Twice in a row now for Jess.

ANNOUNCEMENT: You are invited to Bingoy Peña’s place after our last round of golf at Lionhead golf course on October 7, 2018. A little dining is in the offing but BYOB. This gathering will also serve as SGC’s annual meeting to discuss golf related issues such as golf venues and new golf rules for next year, officers, new game format, membership, etc. Your presence and opinion matter.

SGC’s banquet awards night is on a Saturday, October 13, 2018. Please confirm your attendance to Rey Plaza or Joey Cruz if you have not done so yet. We would like a chance to see you out of your regular golf attire and in a semi formal attire for a change.

 

 

Bingoy Pena’s place

With dark clouds looming around the horizon, twenty-six players were so mindful of the weather because of SGC’s late tee time at 2:00 o’clock in the afternoon at Royal Ontario golf course. Darkness was the main issue here as the day was getting shorter surprisingly early currently. There was a notion of not finishing a round, but fortunately the seventh and the last group was concluding the round at the eighteenth hole while the sun was settling down at quarter to eight in the evening.

High winds and a cool seventeen degrees Celsius created a little havoc to a certain player who netted a remarkable net of 64. Ray Macapagal who enjoyed his brief stay in the Philippines earlier in the year and spent his winter hibernation down south of the border in Florida, captured the day prize in his only sixth game of the summer. With his splendid performance, Ray also seized Nassau corners back nine and the total net. Mind you, he was the only one who signed a net score card in the 60s. What was this thing with people coming back from all that holidays, going to form and restfully reeling in few prizes here & there?

Another player with a habit of winning every time he came back from a time off, Julio Rodriguez signing a gross score of 40, deservingly grabbed the Nassau front nine.

In the accuracy shot of the day department, Jess Velarde with a pitching wedge punch shot at the 116 yards par 3 eight hole got it so close that nobody could beat since starting earlier from the first foursome. Jojo Dizon impressive with a nice precise shot at the eleventh hole, won two of these in his last three starts. Not bad, eh?

 

Major Updates:

POY: There is a new sheriff in town. JC Montilla with a net of 70 took over the lead over rival Jimmy Manguerra’s net 75. JC now leads Jimmy by meager three strokes. These two are playing musical chairs since the fifteenth game. No one else is seriously close enough to challenge these two men with only four games to go.

MIP: JC Montilla could be possibly having this year as his year. Being a multiple winner so far this year, he is almost going away with this award. But wait. At his last start before last Sunday, Manny Marquez jumps from third to second replacing Mike Montilla who drops down to fourth place behind the ever-nonchalant Fred Halili. If I were JC, I’d be cognisant of Manny who is nipping at JC’s heels and is fast closing in with four games remaining. Who knows?

SPOY: Compared to other majors, this one is the tightest contest of them all. Why? Five players are within eight strokes of stealing the crown for himself. Bert Cerrudo still leads Seho Oh by a whisker of a stroke followed by Bingoy Peña six stroke behind the leader in third place, Mar DeVeyra in fourth place seven behind and Joey Cruz bringing up the rear in fifth tailing eight strokes. This is what competition is all about. Nice going seniors.

Not so bad weather wise at twenty-six degrees Celsius at KIngsforest golf course last Sunday. This was the twentieth game of the season and the best opportune time to get it going as it was the end of the month. Twenty-five players sweated it out trying to win few prizes available.

Since the writer of this blog is SGC member and plays regularly as well, what happens when he wins a round of golf? How does the writer give accolades to himself? Simple, say less and narrate the point of view story in the third person. This blog is obligated to announce and post the round of golf results whatever and whomever they might be. Clear as mud, don’t you think? Bert Cerrudo with his perfect round attendance for the summer in his twentieth game just like seven others, won and shared the day prize. He seized the Nassau corners – back nine & total net of 70. He is the first player to win the day prize three times this season, and his second win of the Super Series event.

Surprisingly enough, last Sunday was the eight time the lowest score of the day was shared by two people. KIngsforest golf course, what a beauty to very few. A very high net score of 70 unexpectedly won it all. One of the two winners who tied the very same net score won it too the last time SGC played this golf course. While that winner is not known for his length off the tee, he was saying about this course, “At most times playing short and, my ball is in the fairway, seems better than long and under the trees.”

How about turning back the clock? Jun Paculaba in his heydays could no doubt be in the running of whatever contest there was, but health issues unfortunately hit everybody as we go to climb arguably senior stages of our lives. This time around, Jun timely entered Super Series 4 contest for the first time and shared first prize with someone else. He must had known something or felt something. Men do have men intuition like women, don’t they? Not only that, he too shared the day prize equalling the lowest net of the day firing another 70.

How about this sophomore member, Jess Velarde? This guy is  one of those who can hit a mile off the tee. He claimed the Nassau corner front nine with a net of 35. Jess could have won it all but apparently the handicapping system would not allow it. Darn the breaks.

Closest to the pin contest: Accuracy off the tee to one of those eighteen holes pays good dividends even if you are having a bad day. Rey Plaza connecting on the par 3 seventh hard location hole, stuck it close enough to win it. Rey’s second in three starts. The late stage ‘bring me back my stolen good swing’ cameo by Jun Paculaba earned him the winning shot at seventeenth hole.

Major leaders update:

POY leader: Jimmy Manguerra, leader for three weeks now.

MIP leader: JC Montilla, leader since the fifteenth game of the season.

SPOY leader: Bert Cerrudo, new leader.