Ace Stehmeier is an NTCC rookie looking to win centerpiece event. —CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Ace Stehmeier nearly pulled out of the Inquirer Golf’s National Tournament of Club Champions last Saturday because of what he felt was poor form.
He heeded the advise of his younger brother and ultimately found a second gear, as the 46-year-old representing Alabang in the trailblazing tournament presented by Lexus advanced to face probably the most dangerous man in the Men’s division field for the title.
The second-ranked Stehmeier used a hot three-hole stretch from No. 12 to erase a 2-down deficit before taking out Masaichi Otake, 2&1, at Eagle Ridge’s Aoki course and seal a title clash with Villamor champion Gary Sales, who also is playing hot and disposed of his semifinal foe with ease.
“It’s really a funny sport, because I was thinking of pulling out last Saturday,” Stehmeier told the Inquirer. “I felt that I wasn’t really prepared for this, and it was emphasized on me when I lost (in defending the Alabang championship).”
It took the prodding of brother King for Ace to play. “He told me, this is your first time (to play the NTCC), because the other two times I held club championships, the event wasn’t played. I guess I just found a groove out there.”
After needing to pull off the shot of the tournament in winning his quarterfinal match on Wednesday, Sales, meanwhile, played with so much brilliance in scoring a 4&3 rout of Ricky delos Santos.
“I just played so well out there today,” the 43-year-old Sales said in a separate interview after putting himself in position to win for the third time. “Everything just seemed to work, I made every shot that I looked at. It was one of those days, really.”
And when asked how he sees the 18-hole title match at the Faldo course will go, Sales sees the game the way Stehmeier does.
“I guess it will all depend on who wakes up on the right side of the bed (Friday),” the ex-tee boy turned pro and now successful businessman said. “This is a funny game. And for sure, we will both want to win this one.”
Sales was so in target that he held a 5-up lead at the turn even if Delos Santos played the stretch at level, while Stehmeier had eagle-birdie-birdie from the 12th to take a 1-up lead on Otake before a par on the 17th closed out the high-quality match.
Rodel Mangulabnan and Abe Rosal will dispute the Senior division crown after scoring narrow wins over Oscar Gallo and Theody Pascual, 1-up and 2&1, in that order.
Mangulabnan, who is seeking a second Senior title, protected a 1-up lead after the 13th, while Rosal, who describes himself as a “happy grandfather of one,” built a 2-up lead through 15 holes in turning back the hard-fighting Manila Southwoods bet Pascual.
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Matet Salivio will be shooting to win the Ladies event for the third time, making the final match after a 7&6 win over Irene Jiang of Manila Golf. She faces Riviera/Orchard’s Kyung Ae-roh, who also scored a 7&6 win over Arline Ward of Mimosa.
