Batallones bags November Ace
Rene Batallones won the Fil-Taga Golfers Association’s November Ace of the Month Tournament after the topnotcher had to yield the championship since he already won earlier in the year.
The businessman carded a net score of 69 last Sunday at the Marianas Country Club after the 13-handicapper negotiated the 18-hole Marpi golf course with a gross of 10-over 82.
Batallones actually finished a shot higher than Mando Guban, who came away with a net 68 (gross 84), but since the latter already won in January he had to surrender the November plum to the second placer.
Guban may not have come home with the November trophy, but he still pocketed the $100 cash prize for topping the tourney plus an oven toaster.
Senate president Pete Reyes and Greg Gamboa finished tied at third place with identical 70s, while Father Manny Corcuera, Mike Cruz, and Jess Yumul were all lumped together in the fifth spot with their 71s.
A record-number 27 players took part in the weekend pre-Thanksgiving golf tournament. The rest of the 22 players, with their scores in parenthesis, are as follows: Dan Ganacias (net 72); Ted Malaran (73); Jason Gatdula (73); Jhun Calma (74); Rey Ferraz (74); Adony Matutino (74); Nono Bostre (74); Jojo Geva (75); Nestor Siruelo (76); John Matsumoto (76); Henry Bautista (77); Leo Ganacias (78), Manny Po (78), Rommel Cruz (78), Freddie Cataluna (79), Nazareno Ortiz Jr. (79), Rodrigo Nimas (79), William Retardo (80), and Alsree Chong (88).
Closest-to-the-pin winners in all par-3 holes also won dressed turkeys courtesy of former president Malaran.
Winners of the previous monthly tournaments of Fil-Taga for 2008 are Sen. Pete Reyes (February), Bostre (March), Butch Sigua (April), Bautista (May), Ferraz (June), Malaran (July), Leo Ganacias (August), Dan Ganacias (September), and Cataluna (October).
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.