Abalos above everyone in July tourney

Edgar Abalos won his second career Fil-Taga Golfer Association monthly tilt after topping the July Ace of the Month Tournament last July 22 at Coral Ocean Resort in Agingan.

The 60-year-old Pacific Islands Club Saipan guest service supervisor actually finished third behind Freddie Cataluna’s net 66 and Dan Ganacias’ net 70, but since those two already won a monthly tournament this season, third place Abalos took the plum.

For the record, Ganacias fired a gross 79, but minus his 13 handicap came away with the best score of July. Four-handicapper Cataluna, meanwhile, shot a 73 gross.

Abalos officially won the July Ace of the Month with his net 72 following a gross of 83 (44-39) for the 11-handicapper.

“It was a perfect day to play golf in that kind of weather. I like the course. The holes are long and fairways are wide and it gave us a little advantage from the rest because of our driving distance,” Abalos told Saipan Tribune.

He attributed his win to Cataluna and Emil Padernal who he was fortunate to play with during the tourney. 

“They both hit the ball long and accurately so I have to do my best. It’s fun that we always look at who gets the longest drive. The tips and advice of Freddie regarding my swing helped a lot because I always had a problem hitting my driver that day,” said the Baguio City, Philippines native.

Abalos went on to dedicate his victory in the July competition to his family, who still believe in his game; and himself because despite being a bit rusty, he still managed to pull off the win.


“Fortunately, I got the Fil-Taga Ace of the Month because the Top 2 players Dan and Freddie already had their ace. I was so thankful that I am now qualified for the Ace of the Year Tournament,” he said.

Abalos actually joined Fil-Taga way back in 2005 and played with the group for four years before going on a sabbatical as he became active in bowling and in the Saipan Electronic Darts Association.

He returned to playing golf two years ago but took a year off in 2022 before again doing a McArthur this year.

“Actually, I don’t play much golf because of my busy work schedule so I have to find a way to join our Fil-Taga monthly tournaments. Those who want to play this game, you need dedication and patience and lots of practice and play with players like Freddie for some good advice,” he said.

Aside from the Top 3, other members that played during the July qualifier were as follows with their net scores in parenthesis: Albert Pajarillaga (73), Mike Cruz (74), Padernal (74), Ed Varias (75), Tony Cabrera (75), Das Krishnan (75), Jhun Cayetano (77), Ronnie Santos (77), Jess Yumul (79), Ruben Avendano (79), Burt Suda (80), and Antonio Tabornil (86).

In the par 3 competition, Tabornil won in hole No. 3, followed by Cataluna, Santos, and Pajarillaga in holes No. 7, 12, and 14, respectively.

With the win last July, Abalos now joins Ganacias (January), Hak Chon Bae (February), Tony Cabrera (March), Padernal (April), Cataluna (May), and Wil Maui (June) as early qualifiers for the season-ending Fil-Taga Ace of Aces Tournament.