Overall Low Gross Champion – Jacob Brendon Rolida. From left: PAL Board Director David Ong, PAL Executive Vice President/Chief Operating Officer Atty. Carlos Luis Fernandez, Alice Dixson, Jacob Brendon Rolida, Jude Turcuato, and PAL President Richard Nuttall. (Photo courtesy of Praxis Experiential Agency, Inc.)
AMATEUR standout Jacob Brendon Rolida and businessman Ray Gica turned in the best gross and net scores, respectively, under the intense heat to share top honors in the 30th Mabuhay Miles Elite Invitational at the Player and Palmer courses of the Orchard Golf and Country Club on Tuesday.
Rolida continued his winning ways after clinching low amateur honors in the last two stops of the local professional tour in as many weeks at the South Pacific and Apo courses in Davao with a solid performance at the Palmer course where he collected six birdies against five bogeys for a gross of one-under-par 71.
Gica, meanwhile, almost stole the thunder from the younger and more seasoned Rolida. He eagled the par-5 sixth hole then birdied the next en route to a gross of 74 and a net four-under-par 68 under the System 36 scoring used for the 18-hole tourney that drew almost three hundred members of the frequent flyer program of the country’s flag-carrier.
The top awardees received a bounty of prizes including 134,000 Mabuhay Miles credit and a Sealy Single Adjustable Bed worth more than P300,000. PAL President Richard Nuttall, PAL Executive Vice President/Chief Operating Officer Atty. Carlos Luis Fernandez and PAL Board Director David Ong were joined by emcees Alice Dixson and Jude Turcuato at the awards ceremony.
Also emerging victorious in the other divisions were Ian Davin Rosales in Class A, Abraham Rojas in Class B, Romeo Ignacio in Class C, Augie Palisoc in the Seniors Division, Denise Eliana Mendoza in the Jungolf Division, Leticia Linnel Bautista in the Ladies Division and Roberto Samson in the Guest Division.
Rolida and Gica also figured prominently in the special holes. Rolida made the longest drive of 303 yards on Palmer No. 4 and had the most birdies of six while Gica won the nearest-to-the-pin prize on Palmer No. 7 aside from his eagle. Joining them were Mark Lester Guanzon for the longest drive of 263 yards on Player No. 18, Felix Gurrea for the nearest the pin on Player No. 3 and Dennis Mendoza (most pars) and Leonides Paragsa (most bogeys) with 14 each.
One of the main challenges of the day was winning the BMW X1 xDrive25e xLine staked as a hole-in-one prize – one shot that can become a life-changing moment.
The BMW car that was prominently displayed by the driveaway carried a prize tag of P3.398 million and it further added to excitement on the course.
Several players had stories of close calls but the pricey crossover proved to be elusive and the participants were just happy with the corporate memorabilia that were given away by the cheerful BMW team.
Mastercard supported the 30th Mabuhay Miles Elite Invitational Golf Tournament as Co-Presenter. Supporting the event as Platinum Sponsor were Petron and CWC Interiors, joined by Gold Sponsors Eton Properties, Sealy, and LaVie, and Silver Sponsors Philippine National Bank, United Colors of Benetton, The Original Penguin, Upper House Shanghai, Rotana La Reserva Spain, and Power Mac Center.
Participating event donors were Marco Polo, UCC Coffee, Dusit Hotels, Belo Medical Group, Regal International Snack Food Corporation, Okada, S&R, Tanduay, Anantara, Asia Brewery, Happy Living, SMEG, Unilab, Minuteman Printers ,Nustar, Hiro, Meta Trading Corporation, Sunlight Hotels & Resorts, and Hertz.
