Sales books Inquirer Golf tourney top spot
Gary Sales will be spending a big chunk of Tuesday at Villamor—the club he represents—hitting some balls and working at his pro shops as he awaits a foe for the second round of Inquirer Golf’s National Tournament of Club Champions presented by Lexus.
The ex-tee boy-turned pro and now successful businessman topped men’s division qualifying after shooting a one-under-par 71 at Eagle Ridge’s Faldo layout on Monday, earning a first-round bye like No. 2 Ace Stehmeier of Alabang and third-ranked Masaihici Otake of Tagaytay Midlands/Highlands.
“Just to make sure that I don’t get untracked,” Sales told the Inquirer in Filipino over the phone, hours after being one of two players to crack par in the elite field of three divisions as he put his bid to win this event for the second time in high gear. “It’s a big thing, getting a first-round bye. Playing five straight days can get pretty exhausting.”
Sales won the second edition of this trailblazing tournament when he turned back Ricky delos Santos at Sta. Elena, 3&2, many years back. He said that this is a big thing for him despite the many successes that came his way in the sport and in business.
“I want to prove to myself that I can still do it,” Sales, who helped Eastridge-Primehomes win the last PAL Interclub over powerhouse Manila Southwoods in Bacolod, said. “That’s what drives me and I think that’s what drives many of the other players in this tournament.”
Ladies titlist
Sales, who lost to Jun Jun Plana last year, 2&1, also at Faldo, will await the winner of the Perry Bucay-Hidenobu Hirooka match, while Stehmeier will tangle with the winner of the Ruel Cabral-Lawrence Celestino match even as Oscar Gallo earned top seeding in Senior play with a 70 and will also spend Tuesday awaiting his first opponent.
Ayala Greenfield’s Kyung Ae-kim won top ranking in the Ladies bracket via a countback over Kyung Ae-roh of Riviera/Orchard and both will also be resting in the first round with Kim to tangle with the winner of the Jill Raymundo-Irena Jang match and Roh to battle the victor between the Dennis Dennon-Young Ok-kim pairing.
Canlubang stalwart Abe Rosal qualified second in the Senior division after shooting a 77 and drew Patrick Solano in the first round, with Rodel Mangulabnan and Theody Pascual, Interclub fixtures like Rosal, taking on Edgar Quiao and Euls Austin, respectively.
