Corcuera, Bautista top Fil-Taga February Ace

Father Manny Corcuera and Henry Bautista ruled the green and fairways of the Laolao Bay Golf Resort east course last Sunday to top Fil-Taga Golfers Association’s February Ace of the Month Tournament.

Father Manny topped the A Flight after besting 13 other duffers with his net score of 71.

The parish priest of the San Antonio Church swung for a gross score of 87, minus his 16 handicap, gave him the score to beat in the expert division of the Fil-Taga event.

Ralph Yumul was two strokes back of Father Manny, as the general manager of Jollibee’s Saipan franchise fired a net score of 73. Yumul, who has a 13 handicap, had a gross score of 86.

Mando Guban and Yumul’s father, Jess, wound up tied in third place with identical net scores of 74. Guban fashioned out his after a round of 84, while Jess had his after going through the course with a 90.

Three players wound up in a tie at fourth place, as Senate Vice President Pete Reyes, Gil Faller, and John Nicolas shot identical net scores of 75.

Reyes and San Nicolas also came away with similar gross scores of 75, while Faller was good for an 86.

The rest of the participants in A Flight, and their net scores in parenthesis, were as follows: Alsree Chong (76); Wilhelm Maui (77); William Retardo (78); Lito Mendoza (80); Ted Malaran (81); Rey Ferraz (85); and Ronnie Santos (gross score of 87, new member).

Bautista, for his part, ruled the roost in B Flight with his sterling net score of 70. An 18 handicapper, he fired a gross score of 88.

Rene Batallones and Freddie Cataluna were tied in second place with identical net scores of 74, but the former bagged runner-up honors after edging the latter on a scorecard tiebreak.

With a net score of 75 and 76, Nestor “Dodong” Siruelo and tourney director Manny Po placed fourth and fifth, respectively.

George Sablan (79 net), Jun “Tiger” Dela Cruz (80), Mike Cruz (81), Nono Bostre (83), Greg De Torres (85), Ed Macario (86), and Joseph Billote (gross score of 106, new member) make up the rest of the players in 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.