Eastridge eyes Del Monte title blueprint
CAGAYAN DE ORO—Del Monte came up with the perfect game plan in ruling Seniors action of the 75th Philippine Airlines Interclub golf tournament last week, when it dominated on Day 1 and then turned up the heat in the next two rounds to put a breakthrough title away early.
The Bukidnon-based squad will be gunning for a sweep of what is known as the country’s unofficial team golf championship starting on Friday when Regular Men’s action gets off the ground, and Eastridge is making it known that it will try and borrow that formula to success.
“Scoring low in the first round will be very important,” Gary Sales, the ex-pro turned successful businessman told the Inquirer in Filipino on Wednesday as he anchors an Eastridge crew that is seen by many as a chief threat to snap Manila Southwoods’ dynastic reign.
But Sales and nonplaying skipper Gimo Asuncion know that its easier said than done, especially playing the middle two rounds with complete control as the second and third rounds will be played at tree-lined Del Monte.
The par-72 gem in Manolo Fortich town in Bukidnon remains to be one of the toughest tests anywhere in the country, and it gives the Del Monte team the veritable home court edge that it will use to gun for the sweep.
“They have the advantage there, that’s for sure,” Sales added. “So if anyone wants to win this event, that team would have to go low in round one and then hold it steady in the next two days. Which will be pretty tough.”
Southwoods has an explosive lineup, and team official Jerome Delariarte admitted to his wards having little knowledge of the Del Monte course that is playing with a lot of roll, making shot placements off the tee all the more difficult—especially to those who don’t know it well.
“That’s what we are here to find out,” Delariarte said, referring to practice rounds on Wednesday and Thursday. “We need to learn to play that course well, because we all know that we cannot just overpower it.”
