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Demapan takes SGA May Ace
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Posted on May 27 2009
Joe Demapan earned a chance to defend his 2008 SGA Ace of the Aces title after winning the Saipan Golfers Association May Ace of the Month Tournament on May 16 at Coral Ocean Point Golf Resort.
SGA’s club championship held every December features the 12 monthly Ace winners of the year. Last year, Demapan tallied a net 139 in the two-day Ace of the Aces to beat 11 other monthly titlists.
Demapan qualified for last year’s club championship in November, but this year he nailed a spot six months earlier after besting 20 other SGA members in the May tournament. SGA based the winner of the SGA May Ace from the scores of its members who participated in the inaugural CNMI Interclub Golf Tournament.
The 9-handicapper Demapan got off to a strong start at the Agingan Point course with his even par 36 on the front nine. He closed out with a 6-over par 42 for a gross 78 and net 69.
Demapan won the May Ace by two strokes against former Superior Court presiding judge Ed Manibusan and John Takai, who logged identical net scores of 72.
Manibusan defeated Takai on the No. 8 playoff hole with the former having a bogey on the par-4 hole against the latter’s triple bogey.
The 3-handicapper Manibusan also had an even par 36 on the front nine before slowing down a bit in the last nine holes with his 2-over par 38 for a gross 74. Takai, a 28-handicapper, shot a 52 and 47 on the front and back nines, respectively, for a gross 99.
Steve Balakrishna failed to finish in the Top 3, but won in the closest to the pin contests on holes No. 7 and 12. SGA treasurer Joe Sablan prevailed on hole No. 14.
Demapan, who will join early SGA Ace of Aces qualifiers Tony Guerrero (January), Joe Rosario (February), Ray Dela Cruz (March), and Frank Rosario (April), also had a closest to the pin shot on hole No. 3.
Meanwhile, SGA will hold its June Ace tournament early with the monthly event scheduled for May 31 at the Marianas Country Club in Marpi. Check-in time is at 8:30am, while tee off is set for 9:30am.
For more information about SGA tournaments, contact Larry Guerrero at 287-1050 or Mariano Fajardo at 483-2549.
