Lyceum Pirates Golf Team

”CRUZ CONTROL”; Lyceum - Cavite wins 4th national title in drama-filled finale

By Luigi Miguel Guerrero

Game 2 of the finals was a day full of emotions. Both Lyceum and Ateneo showed what it mean’t for them to win the national title for their alma mater. Both teams did not hold back. Lyceum-Cavite, being the hottest collegiate team for the past 4 years, had to step up, and show that they still deserved to be called the number 1 collegiate golf team in the country. Ateneo on the other hand, does not want to waste yet another opportunity to prove that they are already worthy of a national title, and spoil the championship streak of LPU.

The first match was the singles, Ateneo’s Marc Salandanan, and Lyceum’s Dan Cruz went head-to-head in what was called to be the “Battle of the Team Captains”, as both of them were named captains of their respective teams this season. Dan, showed why Eagle Ridge is his home, gunning down three birdies in the first 6 holes to take a commanding 3-up lead over Salandanan. Making the turn, Salandanan tried to make a run of his own, pounding on the mishaps of Cruz. But despite his mistakes, Dan took on the challenge, and showed how gutsy he is of a player, to take Lyceum to a 1-0 lead after winning 3-up over Salandanan.

In the best-ball match, Lyceum’s prized recruit Jp De Claro, and Eagle Ridges’ Park Jaehong, took on the tandem of Basti Lorenzo and Nikki Bruce. It was more of an up and down day for this match as they exchanged blows each and every hole. But Ateneo came in clutch, as Lorenzo makes his team proud by sinking a 15 foot birdie putt in the 130 yard, Par 3, 17th hole, to spoil the late rally of the Pirates to tie the matches 1-1, giving Ateneo a shot to force the finals in to a playoff.

With both teams all tied up, the decision all came down to the High-Low match, featuring Lyceum’s Joseph Orbito, and new recruit Wiggam Tapdasan, against Ateneo’s Quito Diaz and Nathan Kawpeng. No team in this match gained any ground over the other, as the biggest lead by both teams was 2-up. With Ateneo being 1-up heading to the last hole, Lyceum had to come in clutch. With all the pressure throughout the day, Joseph came in clutch for Lyceum as he holed a 15-footer for par on the 18th to extend the match to extra holes. Unfortunately, things didn’t go LPU’s way in extra holes, as both Joseph and Wiggam cracked under the extreme pressure to give Ateneo’ Diaz and Kawpeng the match, and the chance of a lifetime to take the crown into the hands of the Katipunan-based squad.

Tied one game a piece, it all came down to a singles match playoff to decide the team who will be named national champions. Ateneo went with Wack-Wack Golf’s very own Nathan Kawpeng, while Lyceum stuck with their captain and firmer national team player, Dan Cruz. On the Par 5, 3rd hole of the Aoki Course, both Kawpeng and Cruz hit adrenaline-filled drives down the middle of the fairway, both showing what this championship mean’t to them. With Dan having former Lyceum top-gunner Rupert Zaragosa on the bag, he felt very at ease in the playoff, despite so much pressure on his shoulders. Dan, being a few yards behind Kawpeng’s drive, had the honor. And with his course familiarity, and with Rupert keeping him calm, he hit an easy 210-yard 4-iron, to just go a little past the green, but in a perfect spot for an easy up-and-down birdie. Kawpeng, being a rookie in his team, felt the nerves and slightly pushed his second shot, which left him with a very difficult pitch to make birdie. With both players in a ‘pitch-putt contest’, the gallery of both teams were up for an exciting show of skill around the greens. Kawpeng was away and went first. With the difficulty of his pitch, plus the firm greens of Eagle Ridge, Kawpeng’s ball ended 40-feet past the hole, which gave Cruz enough confidence to put it in close and have full control of the match. Dan hit his pitch to about 2 feet, to put Ateneo in a must make situation to extend the playoff. Kawpeng stroked his birdie putt aggressively to have a chance, but unfortunately went about 5 feet past the hole . He also missed his par putt coming back, thus conceding the playoff, to give Lyceum-Cavite another championship season.

As his team mates run down towards him on the green, Captain Dan falls into tears as this win would culminate his collegiate career. It truly shows that his hard work, patience and perseverance paid off, as he lifted his team to victory. What a way to end his collegiate career!

It will once again be a season to remember for the Lyceum - Cavite Pirates as they have completed their 4th straight national title.This years win keeps their hopes alive of making collegiate golf history, because next season they will have the opportunity to tie the DLSU Green Archers’ streak of 5 straight national golf championships. Viva Larga Pirata!

PIR4TES 4 THE WIN

By Luigi Miguel Guerrero

Last Tuesday (January 8, 2019) the first round of the 12th PGF National Intercollegiate Golf Championship Finals was held at the Luisita Golf and Country Club, in Tarlac, home of the Ateneo Golf Team.

Once again, the 3-time defending champions, Lyceum Pirates, put on a strong start in their quest for their 4th straight National Title. With almost a different lineup this season, not having pro-bound Rupert Zaragosa, and Luigi Guerrero, both having completed their respective degrees, the Pirates still managed to keep their heads up, and lifted each other to put themselves in a very familiar position once again. With new recruit Wiggam Tapdasan in the lineup, plus former national team player and graduating senior Jp De Claro, together with Orchard’s Joseph Orbito and Park Jae Hong of Eagle Ridge, manager Lawrence Celestino, and Captain Dan Cruz are optimistic that they can pull off another victory for their alma mater.

“Yung team namin this year ay hindi ganun kalakas, sobrang laki ang kawalan ni Rupert at Luigi tapos may nadagdag pang format which is yung singles, and kulang talaga kami sa players. Kailangan lang talaga namin mag step up, and I am happy na naaccomplish namin yung first task, which is to win game 1”, Cruz said, after their match in Luisita. “Looking forward talaga kami for game 2, kasi home course namin yun. We can’t be too aggressive, kasi malakas ang team ng Ateneo, mahirap na magkamali.” Cruz said, expecting a more aggressive and hungrier Ateneo Team.

Cruz,De Claro and Park look to carry the team in this year’s edition, as they want to end their collegiate careers on a high note, with the three being on their final semester in college.

Dan Cruz and the rest of the Lyceum Pirates have already started preparations the day after their win in Luisita, and look forward to battle it out in their home turf.

Game 2 of the finals will be this Sunday (January 20) at the Eagle Ridge Golf and Country Club (Aoki Course).

Viva Larga Pirata!

Scores for Game 1 at Luisita Golf and Country Club:
LPU 2 - ATENEO 1

BEST BALL (LPU WIN)
Jp De Claro & Park Jae Hong (LPU) def.
Basti Lorenzo & Marc Salandanan (ADMU) 7&5

HIGH-LOW (ATENEO WIN)
Quito Diaz & Nathan Kawpeng (ADMU) def. Wiggam Tapdasan & Joseph Orbito (LPU) 3&2

SINGLES (LPU WIN)
Dan Cruz (LPU) def. Nikki Bruce (ADMU) 4&2

Lyceum of the Philippines University Golf Team has just signed Wiggy Tapdasan of Learning Links Academy. Welcome to the Pirates family, Wiggam!

Viva Larga Pirata!

LYCEUM PIRATES PULL OFF INTERCOLLEGIATE THREE-PEAT

The Lyceum Pirates made short work of the Ateneo Blue Eagles with their Best Ball team winning 6 & 5 to capture the 2018 Intercollegiate Golf Championship at their home course at the Eagle Ridge Country Club Aoki course on Sunday.
The three-peat seeking Pirates needing to tie one of their two matches paired their best two players in former national player Rupert Zaragosa and Luigi Guerrero in Best Ball against Ateneo’s Mark Salandanan and Nikki Bruce with JP De Claro and Dan Cruz holding fort in the Hi-Lo format versus Basti Lorenzo and Quito Diaz.
Starting at the back 9, Zaragosa went to work early as he went for the green on the short par 4 Hole 12 landing on the fringe. He two putted for an easy birdie as Ateneo missed a tying putt from 10 feet. He then converted a monster of a second shot from an awkward downhill lie on the rough on Hole 13 to place the ball to within a pin of the hole that set him up for his second straight birdie and a 2 up lead for Lyceum.
Ateneo will make for some lost ground on Hole 14 with Salandan sinking a birdie from 6 feet while they will miss their chance to equalize and take the lead as they missed birdie putts from within a pin on Holes 15 and 16. That was the closest that they could get.
Lyceum would calmly make regulation pars on the next two holes while Ateneo struggled for bogeys and doubles to put the Pirates 4 up after the first 9 holes. Zaragosa would then sink another birdie on Hole 1 against an Ateneo par to make it 5 up, match Ateneo in the next hole and then set up the shot of the day in the par 5 hole 3.
Lyceum was facing an Ateneo eagle putt from just under two pins with Zaragosa having a 35 footer up and down putt from the low side of the green also for eagle. He calmly lined up and gave the ball a firm putt that appeared to scoot down fast on the slick greens but at the last minute broke right to find the bottom of the cup. Ateneo would then fail to capitalize on their own eagle opportunity to settle for par to go to the next hole with the match at dormie.
On the par 3 Hole 4, Lyceum missed the green but Guerrero blasted to within a grip’s length of the hole while Zaragosa chipped to with a club length. Ateneo would miss the go home or die birdie putt from 14 feet while the graduating senior Zaragosa would cap his college career with a par putt that would seal the match and send the championship trophy back again to Lyceum.
The Hi-Lo match was automatically stopped with score standing at Lyceum up 2 after 13 holes.

✔️ 11th PGF Intercollegiate Golf Champions

✔️ 3-peat Champions 🏆🏆🏆

✔️ Japan here we come ✈️ 🇯🇵

Victory celebration at Bayleaf Hotel with our beloved Vice-President Ms. Tess Pilapil (Tet Otawa). We are so happy and thankful for the support given by LPU-Cavite to our team, especially to our beloved President, Mr. Roberto Laurel. This third straight championship would not be possible without the support of the university. Maraming maraming salamat po! Viva Larga Pirata!

Thank you for the write up Inquirer Golf! Hope we could pull off the big win tomorrow 🏆🏆🏆

LYCEUM PIRATES MOVE CLOSER TO THIRD STRAIGHT INTERCOLLEGIATE PLUM

The Lyceum Pirates took the flight out of the Ateneo Blue Eagles in their home course as they won 2-0 with their Best Ball and High-Low teams both finishing the job on the 15th hole and winning 5 & 3 in the first game of the finals of the 2018 Intercollegiate Golf Championship at the Midlands Golf and Country Club in Tagaytay.

Ateneo got off to a solid start with their High- Low team of Basti Lorenzo and Quito Diaz going 1 up in the first eight holes against the fancied Lyceum pair of former many time national champion Rupert Zaragosa and JP De Claro. Both teams were even in the first six holes with the Blue Eagles taking the first point of the match with De Claro missing his par putt on hole 7.

The Blue Eagles’ lead was however short lived as Zaragosa rattled off four consecutive birdies from holes nine to twelve with Ateneo only matching the Pirates’ low scores to go up by three. Zaragosa and De Claro then pushed the Ateneo pair to the brink as they both parred hole 14 against Lorenzo’s par and Diaz’s double bogey riding on the lost ball penalty after he hit his driver to the middle of the fairway but his ball inexplicably nowhere to be found.

The pint sized Zaragosa was the only one to find regulation green on the next hole again to score an easy par with De Claro netting bogey against the bogey and double bogey of the Ateneo pair who ran into all kinds of pain in trying to go up and down to win the match and go 1-0

The Lyceum’s Best Ball pair of Dan Cruz and Luigi Guerrero took an early 2 up lead over Ateneo’s Nikki Bruce and Mark Salandanan in the first four holes with Cruz sinking a 30-foot putt from the fringe on Hole 1 while Guerrero nailed a semi stinger on his approach to about 10 feet on Hole 4 which he birdied.

Ateneo would charge back with Bruce hitting back-to-back birdies, the first a 32-footer from the left fringe on Hole 7 followed by a difficult 17 -foot sidewinder on the very fast and slick Hole 8 greens but Lyceum did not give up the lead as Guerrero matched birdie on Hole 7. The senior would then put the Pirates 2 up again on the 9th as he was the only one able to save par on the front’s closing hole.

Nerves and bad breaks took the best out of Ateneo in the back nine with Bruce flubbing a three-footer for par on 10th, Salandanan’s chip in for birdie on the 11th missing the hole by a whisker and his birdie putt on the 12th lipping out with Bruce three putting a birdie opportunity on 13th against the regulation two putts of Guerrero to give the Pirates their first point in the back nine.

Lyceum then took advantage of the Ateneo duo’s errant drives on 14th with Salandanan’s drive with an iron found the hazard, Bruce gambled to cut the hole with a drive over the trees but her ball was pushed hard by the wind, hitting the branches and thrown to the hazard. Taking a penalty, her third shot from 170 yards lined up to the pin but bounced hard off the green leaving her with a 30-footer par putt that she eventually couldn’t convert to give the hole to Lyceum who made a regulation put to go 4 up with 4 holes to go.

All players found the fairway on 15th but none made the fairway. Salandanan flubbed his pitch to barely reach the edge of the left green, Cruz pitched to within less than a pin while Guerrero and Bruce’s blast from the same bunker left Bruce at the front fringe with a putt from two pins with Guerrero with another pin length putt for par for Lyceum. Salandanan and Bruce missed their par putts while Guerrero again proved clutch for the Pirates to nail another par putt to seal the match and Game 1 of the Championship series to the Pirates.

Action resumes on January 28 at Lyceum’s home course at the Eagle Ridge Golf and Country Club (Aoki Course) with the Pirates needing just to tie one match to capture their third straight Intercollegiate Championship.

Photo courtesy of Luigi Guerrero shows the Lyceum team after their big win at Midlands

1 more day to go!!! 🏆🏆🏆

4 days ‘til Championship Sunday 🏆🏆🏆

ROAD TO 3-PEAT: Strong start for the LPU Pirates Golf Team

It was all smiles today for the Lyceum Pirates Golf Team after winning both their matches against the Ateneo Golf Team, in their quest to defend the championship and record their third consecutive intercollegiate golf title.

The first game of the finals was played today at the Tagaytay Midlands Golf & Country Club, the home course of Ateneo.

Lyceum’s graduating senior Luigi Miguel Guerrero and junior Dan Emilio Cruz, went against Ateneo’s Nikki Bruce and Marc Salandanan in the best-ball format. The Pirates never looked back, and led the match from start to finish which ended with a 5up win on the 15th hole.

On the other hand, in the high-low format, Lyceum’s graduating senior and Philippine team mainstay Rupert Zaragosa partnered with junior Jp De Claro, went against Ateneo’s Sebastian Lorenzo and Enrique Diaz. The Pirates started slow going 1 down thru 7 holes, but the strong pair never looked back after sinking clutch putts down the stretch, and pounding on the mishaps of the Ateneo duo to end the match with a 4up win on the 15th hole.

The last and final round will be played at the Eagle Ridge Golf & Country Club, the home turf of LPU on January 28, 2018 (Sunday). Practice and preparations for the final round will continue throughout the week, as the Pirates expect a stronger and more prepared Ateneo Golf Team.