Reyes, Batallones are January’s finest

Sen. Pete Reyes and Rene Batallones became the first qualifiers for the season-end Golfer of the Year Tournament of the Fil-Taga Golfers Association after winning their respective flights in the club’s January Ace Tournament held last Jan. 16 at the Kingfisher Golf Links.

Reyes carded a net score of six-under 66 to emerge as the champion of the A Flight. The 14-handicap golfer finished the day with a gross score of 80.

Lito Mendoza was two shots off the lawmaker’s pace, firing a four-under 68 net score and settled for runner-up honors. Mendoza came away with a tournament low 75 gross.

Jess Aldan tied Mendoza with his net score of 68 but lost on a scorecard tiebreak. The nine-handicap golfer had a gross of 77.

Fourth spot belonged to Gil Faller, who also netted a 68. A 12-handicap golfer, Faller carded an 80 gross.

William Retardo rounded out the Top 5 golfers in A Flight with his one-under 71. Retardo scored a gross score of 81.

The rest of the golfers in A Flight, with their net scores in parenthesis, were as follows: Jhun Calma (72); Mike Cruz (73) Ted Malaran (73); Mando Guban (74); Edgar Abalos (75); Douglas Pucket (75); Joe Miranda (78); Jess Yumul (78); Rey Ferraz (81); Albert Pajarillaga (81); and Harry Kang (84).

New members Sasaki Oliver and Yang Eui Yu fired gross scores of 78 and 88, respectively.

Batallones, for his part, topped B Flight with a tournament low net score of 10-under 62. A 36-handicap player, Batallones finished with a gross score of 98.

Father Manny Corcuera was four shots off Batallones’ mark with his six-under 66. The 18-handicap player had an 84 gross.

Cesar Dumatol took third place after shooting a five-under 67 net score. Dumatol has a 36 handicap and had a gross score of 103.

With a two-under 70 net score, Ernie Lopez placed fourth. He finished with a gross score of 96 with his handicap 26.

Greg De Torres tied Lopez with his 70 but had to settle for fifth place after losing in a scorecard tiebreak. A 30-handicap golfer, he finished with a 101 gross.

The rest of the golfers in B Flight, with their net scores in parenthesis, were as follows: Nestor Siruelo (71); Edgardo “Puy” Macario (73); K.J. Semikian (73); Nono Bostre (74); Glenna Palacios (75); Henry Bautista (76); Tom Aguon (77); Domingo Cariaso (78); Ben Sablan (78); Freddie Cataluna (83); and Manny Po (83).

Fil-Taga also welcomed new members Tae Hyung Lee (97), Larry Guerrero (99), and John Matsumoto (107) to B Flight.

Established in 1993, Fil-Taga’s tournaments operate under a computer-controlled handicap system that creates parity among players in the A and B Flights.

A Fil-Taga Ace of the Month champion is crowned monthly. Regular tournaments are scheduled once a month, normally every third Sunday. Green fees are in the $35 to $40 price range for most tournaments.

For more information Fil-Taga’s monthly tournaments and its season-ending Golfer of the Year Tournament, contact president Ted Malaran at 322-1234 or 287-1227.