RIYADH: Abner Macapagal demonstrated to all and sundry he still got what it takes to win the big one when he bested the field in the FGA 2015 Kalayaan Cup golf tournament at Nofa Golf Resort last Friday.

Saying he felt good with his game right from the opening hole which he parred, Macapagal emeged overall champion in the Stableford format competition organized by the Filipino Golf Association as part of the 117th anniversary celebrations of the Philippine Independence Day.

Veteran golfer Macapagal, deputy general manager Corporate Banking Group at Alinma Bank, compiled 33 points, the equivalent of 3-over in medal play, to win by one from Mar Vera Cruz.

The long-hitting Cruz won first runner-up on countback from Mark Campbell and Luke Lacaden. All three players tied on 32 points. South African Campbell, a friend of the FGA, settled for second runner-up and Lacaden third runner-up.

Oscar Domingo took fifth place on 31 points to round out the winners in the event where players had 3/ 4 handicap allowance.

The tournament was the FGA’s second major after the Ambassador’s Cup on Jan. 30.

Though Macapagal, with a 17 handicap, took third place with fellow Alinma Bank executive Philip Cortejos in the Royal Airmaroc Open, a two-ball Texas Scramble format event, on May 9, his victory last Friday validated the Filipino banker’s return to form.

Enjoying a good long game, Macapagal, after opening with two pars out of five on the day, brushed off a 10 on the par-5 No. 3 to routinely pick up points including his bread-and-butter holes on Nos. 6, 9, 12, 16 and 18 where he made net birdies for 3 points each.

Macapagal tallied 16 points going out and 17 coming in, and his only other zero hole was when he double-bogeyed 17.

Playing in pain, at least in the early holes before the medicine to relieve a sore foot took effect, Macapagal managed to seal the deal, and the joke among fellow FGAers was that he was limping at the start of the tournament but walking upright with a smile on his face when it ended.

FGA officers including Vice president Sonny Acance and Auditor Jun Geronimo presented prizes to the winners at the awarding ceremony.

Japos wins Roehl Cruz Maasalama Tournament

Engineer Jay Japos had his game raised a notch to be the overall champion in the Roehl Cruz Maasalama Tournament recently at the Dirab Golf & Country Club on the outskirts of Riyadh.

Japos returned a net score of 66 to win by three strokes over Aries Ramirez who in turn won by countback from Boiet Carigma for the first runner-up trophy. Ramirez and Carigma had matching cards of 69.

FGA organized the event in honor of Alinma Bank’s Cruz who has since left the Kingdom on an exit-only visa.