Though the weather was much better this year, just about every player at the 36th Mango Tee Invitational attested to the forceful winds at Alabang Country Club.
That included the pair of Francis Tueres and Don Breganza who happened to love it.
“That was my strength, because I can play with the ball through the winds,” Breganza told Tribune Golf Saturday right after annexing the team title for overall gross via an eight-point victory.
It was a fitting outcome for Tueres and Breganza who placed second last year behind Jorge Gallent and JP Reyes.
“Francis and I are like brothers, we know each other very well,” said Breganza an executive for Viva Films.
That showed in the performance over two rounds in the six-day meet which is considered the biggest member-guest competition in the country.
Tueres and Breganza tallied 111 points in the Modified Stableford where they played Aggregate and Best Ball in each of the rounds.
In Thursday’s Best Ball, Breganza scored a five-under-par 67, while Tueres had two-under-par 70. That proved too much to match by the four other shotguns who played Friday and Saturday.
“The weather good this year, winds I like it maybe two clubs up,” Breganza said. “But playing with the winds is my strength.”
Breganza emigrated back to the Philippines two years ago after living in the United States for more than 30 years.
Originally from Davao, Breganza resided in Long Beach, California, where he won golf club championship three times.
The pair bested Sandy Chan and James Chan who had a 103; and Marvin Caparros and Karloz Alba who had a 102 for second place.
Edwin Arceo and Aurelio Gomez ruled the overall net with 121 points. Sandy Chan and James Chan placed second with 117 and Joaquin Rosero and Ian Sanares third with 116.
Sandy Chan and James Chan ruled Group A via slim 117-116 victory over Joaquin Rosero and Ian Sanares. Tueres and Breganza had a 115 for third.
Francis Puno and James Minutello collected 114 points to capture Group B championship with Monsour del Rosario and Danilo Mercado (113) and Leonardo Singson and Carlo Morales (112) claiming second and third, respectively.
Arceo and Gomez were runaway winners in Group C (121). Richard Venables and Ramon Rodriguez garnered 112, and Luis Villafuerte and Francis Edward Franciso gathered 110 for second and third, respectively.
John Henry Trillanes and Ron Hernandez edged Roberto Batungbacal and Edison Kwong, and Leopoldo dela Cruz Jr. and Nelson Mendoza for Group D title via countback. All of them scored 112.
