DAVAO CITY, Philippines - Canlubang captured its sixth Philippine Airlines (PAL) Interclub seniors golf championship in dramatic fashion Sunday, rallying from 12 points down to win by three at the Apo Golf and Country Club.
Tommy Manotoc, the 62-year-old warrior, dropped only one shot at the demanding, tree-lined course to lead the Sugar Barons with 53 points.
Save for Japanese Koichi Horii of Cebu Country Club, no other player scored 50 points or better at Apo made even tougher by overnight rains and oven-hot conditions.
''I love playing Apo because it makes you think,'' said Manotoc who made only one birdie against two bogeys. ''Recovery is tough and the greens are hard and fast.''
Luisita, the third round leader, chose the wrong time to play its worst round ever in Interclub history.
Francis Gaston, Luisita's best scorer, could only match Canlubang's worst, limping home with 44 points.
Luisita skipper Iggy Clavecilla returned with 43 points - his worst score in nine years while Pepot Inigo, a former individual champion, inexplicably did not count with 41.
Manotoc said his heart bleeds for Inigo who unravelled in the backnine after making the turn at three-over.
''I even told Luigi (Yulo) that at most, I can get only four from Pepot because he's that good,'' said Manotoc who earned his fourth individual crown.
But Inigo picked up on the 13th after a bad approach and three putts.
He was never the same after that.
The Sugar Barons pooled 144 points at Apo, a nine-point improvement from Thursday, to finish the tournament at 571.
Backing up Manotoc were Tony Olives (46) and Rolly Viray (44). Bing Bunye's 44 failed to count.
''It's totally unexpected,'' said Canlubang skipper Luigi Yulo. ''We were hoping to beat each player by four points. Tommy did it for us.''
Luisita totalled 129 points to salvage second place with 568, two points ahead of Cebu Country Club (CCC).
Aside from Gaston and Clavecilla, the other Luisita scorer was Ruben Amata who had 42 points.
CCC, hoping to break the Canlubang-Luisita stranglehold, scored the day's best round - 146 points on the strength of Horii's 51, Clifford Celdran's 49 and Nonoy Tirol's 46.
In another climactic finish, Manila Golf Club held off Apo Golf to win the Founders division by a single point.
Manila Golf drew 43 points from Jaime Fernandez, 42 from Manoling Chan and 40 from Mike Prieto at the Rancho Palos Verdes Golf and Country Club to bring its total to 524 points.
Apo Golf fell short despite scoring 141 points while Eagle Ridge slipped to third with 515 points.
The platinum sponsors of the 65th PAL Interclub are Mareco Broadcasting Network, Radio High, Stargate Media, Media Five, GE while the major backers are Asia Brewery, Business Mirror and Airbus.
Also lending support are the Department of Tourism, Philippine Graphics, Boeing International Corp., Bombo Radyo, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Manila Bulletin, Movenpick Resort & Spa Cebu, Plantation Bay, Radisson Blu Hotel and Imperial Palace Waterpark & Spa Cebu.
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