RIYADH: Call it parting shot, last hurrah, or whatever. Jay Japos couldn’t have authored a better script when he won his own farewell tournament on a bitingly cold day last Saturday at Dirab Golf & Country Club.

FGAers braved the cold weather with temperatures dropping to 2 degrees Celsius to motor down the Makkah highway to Dirab for the Jay Japos Masalama Golf Tournament.

As if to remind his FGA golf buddies he’s got game despite not playing as much as he wanted while dividing his time between Riyadh and Jeddah, Japos shot a net score of 66 to emerge champion at the end of the 18-hole event organized in his honor by the Filipino Golf Association, led by its president, Joe Vallado.

Playing inspired golf, Japos, an engineer by profession, actually tied Luke Lacaden on 6-under but won on countback to make his masalama event all the more memorable. Lacaden settled for the first runner-up.

Set to leave the Kingdom for good in a few weeks, the affable and Cagayan de Oro City native Japos played in a group with fellow Visayans Sand Trapz and Mario Marimon and Jeff Arellano.

Vallado, with a 19 handicap, clinched 2nd runner-up on 70 on countback from 28-handicapper Jeff, while David Lloyd Bantug and Aries Ramirez rounded out the first six winners in the tournament held in cooperation with Dirab Golf & Country Club. Lloyd, a second generation FGA member who played off 12 handicap, and Aries both returned a net score of 73.

In all there were 23 players who teed it up in support of the FGA event that got the group together once again in an atmosphere of fun and camaraderie.

Vallado and the rest of the FGA officers awarded prizes to the winners. In addition to the trophy Japos, 38, received a plaque of appreciation from the FGA.

69th PAL Interclub

Meantime, Vallado said the FGA will be entering three teams in the 69th Philippine Airlines Golf Championship, considered the premier national golf team tournament of the country, to be held March 2-5 at the Mimosa Golf & Country Club in Angeles City.

The three teams and their team captains are: RGC (Jun Bantug), FGA 1 (Joe Vallado) and Green Tee Club (Eric Liquigan).