Near-sweep puts Tagaytay back in WGAP hunt

Tagaytay Highlands nearly pulled off a rare sweep of three divisions but its two victories and a runner-up finish at home proved enough to put the Highlanders back in the overall title hunt in the 2018 WGAP Circuit at the Midlands and Lucky 9 courses in Tagaytay recently.

The hosts cashed in on the proverbial home-court edge to dominate, scoring a 155 and beating the Forest Hills side by five in Class B and pooling a 150 to trounce the Canlubang ladies by seven in Class C.

Villamor, however, foiled Tagaytay’s bid in the premier class behind its youth brigade, coming away with a three-point victory on a 145 to likewise stretch its lead in the overall race heading to the last three stops of the annual eight-leg circuit organized and conducted by the Women’s Golf Association of the Philippines.

Aguinaldo, which pulled to within one off Villamor after the fourth leg at Orchard, missed a podium finish, enabling the latter to extend its lead to four with 19 points. Aguinaldo remains in second with 15 points while Tagaytay moved from joint sixth to solo third with that huge eight-point haul for 13 points.

Alabang, Eagle Ridge and Sta. Elena have nine points apiece while Forest Hills has seven and Canlubang totes five points going to the circuit’s sixth leg at Wack Wack on Aug. 28.

Samantha Martirez fired 38 Stableford points while Harmie Constantino and Kristine Torralba produced 36 points each and Arline Ward backed them up with 35 points as Villamor repulsed Tagaytay, which turned in a 142, in Class A.

Rosalie Heo shot 39 points and took the individual crown while Hee Kyung Jung, Sophia Blanco and Rebecca Albert added 36, 34 and 33 points, respectively, for Tagaytay.

Alabang, led by Joan Morales and Marilyn Reyes’ identical 36 points, placed third with a 137 followed by Camp Aguinaldo (132), Forest Hills (128), Sta. Elena (119), Cangolf (115) and Eagle Ridge (113).

But Tagaytay stamped its class in the two other divisions with Jennifer Romualdez sizzling with 44 points, Hedy See shooting 39 points and Mathilda Sun and Rosario Dimson adding 36 points each for a five-point romp in Class B over Forest Hills, which scored a 150.

Sta. Elena finished third with a 149 while Aguinaldo placed fourth again with a 144 with Grace Montilla clinching the individual plum with 43 points followed by Wack Wack (142), Villamor (137), Alabang (136), Cangolf (127), Eagle Ridge (121) and Orchard (119).

Catherine Borja shot 42 points, Veronica Wuson came up with 39 points and Ma. Luisa Jayme and Deena Mendiola chipped in 35 and 34 points, respectively, as Tagaytay ran away with the Class C crown via a seven-point romp over Cangolf, which had a 143.

Alabang scored a 140 for third followed by Villamor (128) while Aguinaldo nipped Eagle Ridge in the countback for fifth after the two teams finished with identical 127s. Forest Hills submitted a 125 while Sta. Elena made a 124. Eagle Ridge’s Richilda De Groot took the individual crown with 38 points.Photo by .v1ctor Casale.