Ateneo, La Salle pull ahead in UAAP golf debut

A new era dawned in Philippine collegiate sports on Monday as golf officially debuted in the UAAP, immediately reigniting the fierce Ateneo-La Salle rivalry on the fairways of Tagaytay Midlands in the opening round of the inaugural UAAP Season 88 Golf Tournament.

Ateneo’s Monique Mendoza rebounded from a challenging front side with a gutsy back-side charge, salvaging an 81 to seize the lead in the women’s individual competition as University of the Philippines’ Annika Gozum stumbled with a late bogey, slipping from a share of the lead to solo second with an 82.

La Salle’s Julia Lua, who dominated last year’s inaugural ICTSI Intercollegiate Tournament and powered the Taft-based squad to the team championship, struggled in hot and windy conditions and limped home with an 86 for third place, while teammate Alexa Dacanay turned in an 87, followed by Ateneo’s Simi Tinio with an 88 and La Salle’s Donnabel Magsino with a 92. Ateneo’s Andie Joson shot a 94, while UST’s Deborah Escote had a 96. UP’s Ava Heredia and Ateneo’s Renee Heredia rounded out the top 10 with a 99 and a 101, respectively.

In the men’s division, La Salle’s Perry Bucay drained a clutch 5-foot birdie putt on No. 17 to finish with a 72 and edge teammate Zachary Castro, who shot a 73, for a one-stroke lead in the individual race. UP’s Joshua Buenaventura and Miggy Roque stayed within striking distance after rounds of 74 and 75, respectively.

La Salle’s Miguel Fusilero carded a 76 to share fifth place with Ateneo’s Glenn Unabia, as the Green Archers seized control of the team standings in the four-to-play, three-to-count format with a 221 aggregate — five strokes ahead of UP, which tallied 226, with Emilio Carpio’s 77 counting.

However, La Salle was assessed a two-stroke penalty for a uniform infraction, raising the team’s total to 223 and trimming its lead over UP to three strokes.

Ateneo trailed in third with a 240 total after Juan Escano and Schmuel Tan shot an 80 and an 84, respectively. UST and Adamson, meanwhile, struggled with team totals of 261 and 370 in the five-school competition presented by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc. and supported by the Philippine Sports Commission, Wilson Philippines, and Akari.

Bucay credited his approach shots as the key to his strong opening-round surge.

“If I didn’t have my approach shots working today, I probably wouldn’t have posted a consistent score. I struggled a bit with my putting, so I was fortunate that I hit good tee shots and was able to place my approach shots very close to the pin,” he said.

Describing the atmosphere of UAAP golf, Bucay said the competition remains intense, especially with players eager to establish themselves.

“It’s the usual tense atmosphere you get in intercollegiate tournaments, but now that it’s the UAAP, I think everybody wants to make a name for themselves,” he said.

Despite the highly competitive environment, Bucay downplayed the pressure factor.

“Pressure? We’re used to that at DLSU. It wasn’t much of a challenge today because we had a solid plan and prepared well. All we had to do was trust our preparation, and that really helped us deal with the pressure,” he said.

Played under swirling winds and on sloping fairways with slick greens, the historic debut of golf as a UAAP demonstration sport showcased both elite collegiate talent and the sport’s strong potential to become a permanent fixture in the league.

Instead of the usual roaring UAAP crowds and booming drums, the atmosphere shifted to tense silences before swings, anxious walks along rolling fairways, and emotional fist pumps after clutch putts.

The demanding Midlands layout tested patience, shot-making, and composure, with every birdie and par carrying added significance as players chased a place in UAAP history.

Mendoza drew first blood in the ladies’ division, emerging as the tournament’s early individual leader with a 44-37 round marked by two birdies against five bogeys and three double bogeys.

“The key was staying mentally strong. I played really poorly after the first nine, but I told myself to keep pushing and make bawi,” said Mendoza, 21, who won the Eastridge leg of the IIT despite difficult weather conditions.

She bounced back with a closing 37 highlighted by birdies on Nos. 12 and 16, offsetting bogeys on Nos. 13, 14, and 17, and hopes to carry that momentum into the crucial next rounds.

“I didn’t expect to lead, but all the hard work paid off and I’m very proud of how I played today,” Mendoza said, adding that she also enjoyed competing against a fresh field of players.

“There are a lot of new faces I haven’t seen before, and I’m glad I got the chance to play with many of them today,” she said.

Gozum also gunned down two birdies but struggled with 10 bogeys and a double bogey. She remained tied with Mendoza until a bogey on the 16th dropped her to solo second.

Ateneo also surged to the early lead in the ladies’ team competition after assembling a 263, holding a slim two-stroke advantage over La Salle, which carded a 265, setting the stage for another spirited chapter in the storied rivalry between the two powerhouse schools.

UP trailed in third with a 288, with Charlizze Yau contributing a 107, while UST turned in a 308 and Adamson finished with a 365.