RIYADH: Felipe Cortejos’s golf game has been down for longer than he cares to remember. Until last Friday when he played his best golf to end a three-year title drought in the Ambassador’s Cup at the Riyadh Golf Club.

Cortejos, a risk manager and senior credit officer with the Samba Financial Group Central Region, shot a solid round of 84 on nines of 41-43.

With a 19 handicap Cortejos ended up with the day’s best net score of 8-under 65. Too bad, no overall title was awarded at this major event of the FGA (Filipino Golf Association). Instead Cortejos, a lefty, settled for the Division B (handicap 15-21) crown in the competition.

“I had a good drive and approach. I was finding the fairways most of the time,” said Cortejos in a phone interview.

Cortejos was back in the hunt after a triple bogey on the fourth hole, hitting five straight pars for that 41 going out. Cortejos, whose last victory was in August 2005, continued to play disciplined golf coming home to win by three strokes over Resty Sibug who had a net 68 from his round of 87.

Mar Vera Cruz and Ebrahim Zailon, two of the most consistent players on the FGA roster, emerged champion and runner-up in Division A (0-14).

Vera Cruz, who hits the ball a mile, carded a 2-under 71 while the diminutive Zailon of the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh was a stroke back on 72. Cruz played off 14 handicap and Zailon off 12.

In the Division C (22-28) Stableford format competition, Nap Baricante and Noel “Omar” Bautista were the winners on countback after both players returned a matching 41 points.

Claiming the nearest to pin awards were Sibug on No. 4 and Vera Cruz on No. 17, RGC’s signature island green where he put the ball within 50 centimeters of the cup.

Chief guest of the event that attracted 52 players was Ambassador Antonio P. Villamor who awarded the prizes along with FGA President Cesar Rosario and RGC Manager V. T.M. Rafi.

Philippine National Bank sponsored the 18-hole full handicap tournament. There were also individual donors who helped make the event a success.

FGA’s next major tournament is the Kalayaan Cup next month.

Meantime, FGA is fielding two teams in the Country Match Golf Tournament on Friday at RGC.

The lineups:

Team A: Cesar Rosario (team captain), Mar Vera Cruz, Ador Laxa, Ely Corpuz,

Eric Liquigan, Alex Arellano, Edwin Añonuevo, Jun Saporsantos, Ebrahim Zailon, Danny Naval

Team B: Ben Bollozos (team captain), Nap Baricante, Resty Sibug, Mike Dyliacco, Felipe Cortejos, Ben Torrefiel, Tony Lizardo,Ed Ejusa, Noel Alipoyo, Jake Infante