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Author Archives: Golf Digest PH Staff

Nike to unveil next-gen drivers

Posted in Announcements, Golf News, Equipment

Nike SQ Drivers

Nike Golf has set February 2, 2008 as its SUMO Saturday with the launch of the second generation drivers—the Nike SQ SUMO² 5900 and the SQ SUMO 5000, based on the Moment of Inertia (MOI) geometric design.

The SUMO² 5900 has a square-shaped head, re-modeled body shape, deep face, and a bulging crown to gain ball speed and assure accuracy. A PGA report says the driver offers tighter shot dispersion allowing even off-center hits to achieve accurate shots. Club head stability is also assured with accurate drives with the PowerBow design.

The SQ SUMO 5000, meanwhile offers a traditionally-designed round-shaped driver with a deep-face profile, the PGA report added. It allows golfers to shape the ball or hit it long and straight. The PowerBow design also repositions weight in the club head to optimize center of gravity location.

The SQ SUMO² 5900 and SUMO 5000 provide Diamana shafts, and are available in 8.5-, 9.5-, 10.5-, 11.5-, 13- and 16-degree lofts. The SQ SUMO 5000 also is available in a 13-degree offset and come in in 8.5-, 9.5-, 10.5-, 11.5-, 13- and 16-degree lofts. According to Nike, the SQ SUMO² 5900 will cost around $500 while the SQ SUMO 5000 will be priced at $360.

1 Comment | December 4, 2007 - 12:12 pm

RP Putra Cuppers end up second

Posted in Announcements, Tournaments, Golf News

The Philippines settled for second place Friday in the Putra Cup despite closing with a tournament-best 206, behind a struggling Thailand which still kept its poise despite its seven-over par 217 in the last round with the top 860 aggregate.

The Filipinos ended with a 862 total.

Mark Fernando bogeyed two of the last three holes, closing with a two-under-par 68, while Jay Bayron bogeyed in the last hole, ending with a 69. Ferdie Aunzo, meanwhile, matched Bayron’s 69.

After dominating the first three rounds, the Thais struggled in the last, producing a 217, behind Thanyakorn Krongpha’s 72, Varut Chomchalam’s 72, and Kiradech Aphibarnat’s 73.

They still annexed their 12th Putra Cup despite the last round debacle, having the best aggregate.

Add comment | December 3, 2007 - 10:35 am

RP lands 2nd but Thais beyond reach

Posted in Announcements, Tournaments, Golf News

Despite Thailand’s sure team and individual victory in the 2007 Putra Cup at The Country Club in Sta. Rosa, Laguna, the Philippine team unleashed its best performance so far Thursday, landing in second place with Singapore.

Jay Bayron scored a one-over-par 71, Jhonnel Ababa mustered a 72, and Ferdie Aunzo produced a 73, to come up with a third-round 216, which placed them in a tie with the defending champions Singaporeans at 656.

The Thais had matched the Philippine production Thursday, with Kiradech Aphibarnrat’s 70, Varut Chomchalam’s 72 and Varan Israbhakdi’s 74, giving them an insurmountable lead going to the last 18 holes of the regional tourney.

Add comment | November 30, 2007 - 1:01 pm

RP Putra Cuppers in 3rd

Posted in Announcements, Tournaments, Golf News

Thailand pads lead; RP bets recover

By Roy Luarca

The Philippines rebounded from last to joint third with a 218 but fell farther behind Thailand, which stretched its lead to six shots over Singapore after a 215 halfway through the Putra Cup at The Country Club course in Laguna Wednesday.

Portly Kiradech Aphibarnrat, whose 73 failed to count for Thailand’s first round output of 212, took charge for the Thais this time, coming home with two birdies in the last five holes to turn in the tournament-best score of two-under 68.

With Varan Israbhakdi and first round top scorer Varut Chomchalam putting in 71 and 76, respectively, the Thais, priming up for the SEA Games at their turf next month, pooled a 215 for a 36-hole aggregate of 427.

That was six strokes ahead of Singapore, which assembled a 216 as top player Quincy Quek matched par 70 and Zhiqun Lam and Dengshan Kok carded a pair of 73s for a 433.

The RP bets, who had a disappointing 222 in the opener at home course, recovered a bit with a 218 which should’ve been a 217 if not for Jhonnel Ababa’s error in his scorecard.

Ababa birdied the par-4 13th but put in a 4 in his scorecard instead of a 3, which his scorer had earlier entered. He wound up with a 74 instead of a 73, which counted for the team.

Mark Fernando fired two birdies in the first seven holes in a fine start but dropped two strokes on No. 9 before a bogey-mishap on No. 10 gave him a one-over 71 for RP’s best score after two rounds of play in the

Southeast Asian Amateur Golf Team Championship conducted by the National Golf Association of the Phils.

Jay Bayron continued to struggle with a 73 marred by a double-bogey and three bogeys against two birdies while Ferdie Aunzo dropped five strokes in a three-hole stretch from No. 14, including a triple-bogey seven on the 15th, and didn’t count with a five-over 75.

Malaysia, behind Hazig Hamizan’s 72 and the two 73s by Edmund Au and Akhmal Tarmizee, matched RP’s output for the second straight day as they moved up to joint third at 440 but fell 13 shots adrift.

Aphibarnrat also took the lead in the individual competition with a 141, one shot ahead of Israbhakdi while Fernando jumped from 12th to joint fifth with a 145 in a tie with Chomchalam, one stroke behind the fourth-running Singaporean pair of Quek and Lam.
Indonesia shot a second straight 221 and slid to fifth with a 442 while Hong Kong, which made an impressive 217 in the first round of the event sponsored by Philippine Airlines, Pagcor, Dept. of Tourism, Hanjin Heavy Industries and the Philippine Sports Commission, limped home with a 231 and dropped to last in the lean six-team field with a 448.

Posted in pilipinasgolf.com

Add comment | November 29, 2007 - 5:01 pm

Filipinos eye end to 10-year Putra Cup drought

Posted in Announcements, Tournaments, Golf News

by Musong R. Castillo

The National Golf Team might as well don a few spy glasses and hire men to do a little reconnaissance on the side while the 2007 Putra Cup is being played.

After all, the opposition that the Philippine golf team will face in the coming Southeast Asian Games will be showing up in this prestigious meet, making the tournament a virtual preview of the biennial event.

Singapore prepares its defense of the crown while the Philippines, Thailand and Malaysia are expected to crowd it for top honors when the event also known as the Southeast Asian Amateur Golf Team championship kicks off Tuesday at The Country Club in Laguna.

Left without the reigning national amateur champion, the RP squad has hoisted its hopes on the shoulders of ex-national titlist Jay Bayron, Ferdie Aunzo, Jhonnel Ababa and Mark Fernando.

The tournament itself has fetched an important battlecry: Ending a 10-year title drought in the annual shot-making contest.

But no one is overlooking the fact that with the SEA Games just around the corner, getting a feel of the players who the Filipinos will battle it out against for the gold is right up there in the list of priorities.

As to the first goal, the locals are hoping that familiarity with the danger-fraught par-70 layout will help them bag the trophy.

“It’s a plus that we are playing on our home course,” said national team mentor Bong Lopez. “But The Country Club is one tough layout that changes in character, especially with the wind, thus.”

“We have to do well here because this will also determine the progress of the team with regard to its form heading to the SEA Games next month,” said Lopez.

Posted in pilipinasgolf.com

1 Comment | November 27, 2007 - 12:35 pm