Aquininoc flies away in NWA

Veteran duffer Alex Aquininoc relied on his game and his handicap to rise to the top on Saturday afternoon to take the inaugural Northwest Airlines Tournament for Children’s Education at Laolao Bay Golf Resort.

Aquininoc’s efforts bested the 77-player field at the beautiful and challenging course, as his score of 89 on the course was converted into a 68.6 using the modified Callaway scoring system to edge Joji Taguchi’s net score of 69.

Taguchi hit a 75 on the day to take second place, while Manny Alvarez’s 87 ended up with a 70.2 to take third place, but none of the golfers were able to come close to the gross score by one of Saipan’s best.

While others rode their handicaps to the top, Joe “Kamikaze” Camacho recorded the lowest gross score of the day as the only duffer to beak 70 with a total score of 67. Unfortunately for him, his negative handicap added points to his score to send him well out of range of the top three finishers.

“It was a beautiful day, the course was great, there was a lot of fun and camaraderie between the players, and we had great prizes that we gave away at the end. When we look at what our cause was for today which was children’s education I think everyone had a good, we’re certainly going to be able to benefit that charity, and I think it sets the stage for next year to be even bigger and better,” said NWA manager for Guam and Saipan Richard Parsons.

Parsons said that he enjoyed his day on the links, but said that his golf game had little to do with that. He instead found fulfillment in the fact that the tournament raised plenty of funds for the community and that they built a foundation for a long-lasting event.

“I had fun, and today was all about the cause. We felt that this was a way that we as a company and as a group of employees could benefit the community and that’s what this was all about—to ensure that everyone had a good time, benefit the charity so that we set the stage for next year so that we can do it bigger and better next year because we do intend to make this tournament to be an annual event,” he said

All three of the top finishers received NWA golf bags, but each of them took home a little extra commensurate with their finishes. Aquininoc pocketed $250 in cash, a $100 travel credit voucher for NWA, and will have his name join the winner from last April’s tournament in Guam, Francisco Romero, on the perpetual trophy.

Taguchi brought home $150 in cash and a $100 NWA travel credit voucher while Alvarez reeled in $100 in cash and a $50 NWA travel credit voucher.

Following the tournament, the golfers were rewarded for the efforts on the course with a banquet next to the clubhouse, and while nobody was able to take home the $10,000 prize or Lexus RX330 from two of the special Hole-in-One challenges, the organizers raffled off the remaining big prizes with hotel stays and airfare.