Wabol is big winner of LaoLao Bay tourney

Veteran ball striker Jess Wabol captured the Championship Flight of the 3rd Annual Family Fun Day Golf Tournament but not before concluding a gentlemen’s agreement with Jeff Taylor last Saturday at the LaoLao Bay Golf Resort.

The president of the Refaluwasch Golf Association finished tied with the defending champion of next week’s NMC Foundation Golf Tournament after both aces finished the 18 holes of golf with identical three-over 75s.

Before they set out for the first playoff hole, Wabol and Taylor already agreed that whatever the outcome of their second go-around on the 18th, the latter would take home first place.

Taylor later explained the logic behind his decision to cede the first-place plum to his good friend Wabol on a telephone interview.

“You know, I’m not playing golf as much as before because of my job and the only time I actually play is during tournaments. I figured Jess is retired and is going to get to use the membership (six month free at LaoLao) more than I ever would. If I won first place I couldn’t give it to anybody, I would have to use it. So, instead of me taking that, I told him it was better for him to win and we made an agreement that he takes first place and I’ll just get second,” he said.

Wabol said a full day’s hitting golf balls beneath the blistering sun with little or no wind at the Kagman golf course probably swayed both participants to arrive at that agreement more than anything else.

“We were already tired and Jeff told me to take first place and he would take second. He was tired and I was tired too, so we just agreed to play the playoff hole for fun. I said ‘I’ll take that six-month free membership’ and the $200 and you could take the $300,’ I got more value by getting that,” he said.

The 2003 Suva South Pacific Games veteran said he was not betting on himself to take home the top plum of the Championship Flight when the tournament started.

“I’ve not been putting my necessary time so I was a little surprised to pull off this win. But I’ve been really working on my shot the past week and tried to play with more control during the tournament. But it was a tough win nonetheless for me and Jeff, it was very humid and the course was so dry, it was a very difficult round to say the least,” he said.

Korean golf instructor Joung Goon Park finished a stroke back of Wabol and Taylor and settled for third place with a four-over 76.

In the women’s corner, Saipan No. 1 Noriko Togawa reaffirmed her dominance by winning the Ladies Flight, a good eight strokes ahead of her nearest competitor.

Togawa carded a 75 to beat runner-up Michiyo Michiko and third place Shiori Onoue, who both wound up with identical 11-over 83s. Michiko edged Onoue this time on a consumated sudden death playoff.

B Flight saw Jess B. Aldan take home the title following a superb score of three-over 75, which proved that he’s more than ready to graduate to Championship Flight after equaling Wabol and Taylor’s winning scores.

Joeten Motor Co.’s Steve Jang saw the hard work he put on the golf range finally pay dividends when he shot an 82, which was good for second place. Lawrence T. Camacho captured third with his 84.

John B. Matsumoto then nipped Gerald Deleon Guerrero and Stephen A. Brock on a sudden death playoff to rule C Flight. All three golfers finished the day with identical 97s.

Former Superior Court presiding judge Edward Manibusan won Senior Flight, edging Lito Mendoza by a stroke with his 75. Eddie Peter cornered the third spot with a 79.

In Peoria scoring, Nick Sablan got the highest score with his 66.8, while Juan Babauta and John Paul R. Flores finished second and third with scores of 67.4 and 67.6, respectively.

Junior Flight saw Charlie Jo top the battle of youth golfers after carding an 84. Jeff Taylor’s son Louie finished second with an 89, while Changkyun Kim came in third with a 95.