Sta. Elena kept the momentum of its big surge at Wack Wack with a victory and a runner-up finish in Canlubang to wrest the overall lead after seven legs of the 2018 WGAP Circuit at Cangolf’s North course recently.
The Sta. Elena ladies topped Class B in big fashion and placed second in Class C for a crucial five-point output that shoved the late-charging team past a faltering Villamor side heading to the final stop of the eight-stage circuitin Forest Hills next month.
Sta. Elena moved within three points off Villamor in the overall race with two victories in the sixth leg last month but now found itself on top of the heap with 21 points as Villamor went scoreless for the second straight tournament and dropped to second with 19 points.
Many-time champion Tagaytay Highlands likewise sustained its attack with a victory in Class A and a third place effort in Class C, hiking its total to 17 points. With Camp Aguinaldo, which placed third in Class A, improving to 16 points and final leg host Forest Hills staying within striking distance with 15 points, a wide-open finish is seen in Antipolo.
Still in the hunt for a top five finish – for spots in the annual WGAP Cup – are Alabang and Canlubang, which tote identical 11 points while Eagle Ridge has nine points in the annual event organized and conducted by the Women’s Golf Association of the Philippines.
Ella Vonau fired 47 Stableford points while Nancy Ortiga, Misako Ogihara and Jenny Ligones backed her up with 44, 40 and 38 points, respectively, as Sta. Elena assembled a 169 for a whopping 12-point victory over Cangolf in Class B. The hosts, led by individual winner Terry Parala’s 42 points, scored a 157 while Alabang placed third with a 147 followed by Forest Hills (146), Villamor (144), Wack Wack (138), Tagaytay (137), Eagle Ridge (131) and Orchard (121).
Tagaytay, behind Sophia Blanco’s 40 points, Sandy Romualdez and Gilda Medestomas’ identical 37 points and Virginia Bote’s 35 points, ruled Class A with a 149, four points over Forest Hills, which pooled a 145 and nipped Camp Aguinaldo in the countback for second. Cangolf placed fourth with a 144 while Sta. Elena and Alabang scored 143 and 129, respectively. Aguinaldo’s Ruby Hamis took the individual plum with 40 points.
Cangolf dominated Class C with a 159 as Christine Kelley turned in 43 points, Theresa Enriquez and Grace Vicencio shot 39 points apiece and Charo Buencamino added 38 points. Sta. Elena, led by individual champion Techie Leonio’s 45 points, scored a 154 and edged Tagaytay in the countback for second while Villamor ended up fourth with a 150 followed by Alabang (148), Forest Hills (142), Aguinaldo (136), Wack Wack (127) and Eagle Ridge (110).