PETER “Dung” Tenorio ruled the Championship Flight of the Marianas Variety Founder’s Memorial Golf Tournament Saturday at LaoLao Bay Golf & Resort west course.
“The weather was brutal today,” Tenorio said, referring to the “really strong winds.”
He added, “You just had to play safe and choose the right time to play aggressively.”
And he did just that.
Tenorio started with a bogey on the first hole but quickly found his stroke as he made his first birdie on hole #5. He slightly struggled with a double-bogey on hole #7 but equalized with two pars to score 5-over par with a gross of 40.
The back nine was where the CNMI national golf team player showcased his skills. “I started off kind of sluggish but finished strong,” he added.
He recorded an eagle on hole #12, which was a par 4, and made his second birdie of the day on hole #18 to end with a gross of 36 for a total score of 76 — and the top spot in the fundraising tournament.
In second place was Franco Santos who edged Zhi Yun Li via a scorecard playoff. Both shared a gross total of 78.
On the front nine, Li shot a gross of 38 while Santos’ score was 39.
But Santos kept a steady pace in the transition to the back nine with another gross of 39 while Li shot a gross of 40.
Extra-special
Dung Tenorio noted that the tournament was dedicated to the memory of MV founding publisher Abed E. Younis (1936-2020) as part of Variety’s 50th anniversary celebration.
“He was my grandfather’s best friend,” said Tenorio, the grandson of pioneering local businessman Jose “Joeten” Camacho Tenorio (1923-1993).
“Of all the tournaments, this one was the one I wanted to win the most,” Dung Tenorio added. “What I would give to play with them one more time. I played a lot with Uncle Abed and my grandfather — they taught me a lot. Whenever my grandfather would go play, he would take me with him so, I played a lot with the old-timers.”
A Flight
In the A Flight division, 15-year-old Joshua Atalig took the title with a gross of 81.
Atalig played fairly well, committing only three bogeys and one double-bogey to end the front nine with a gross of 42.
He then improved his game on the back nine to end with a score of 39 for a gross total of 81.
“It was very challenging,” Atalig said in an interview. “But I had been practicing every single day so it feels very good to win.”
Finishing second was Stussy Shiroma who shot a 42-gross on the front nine and 40 on the back nine for a gross total of 82 while Peng Cheng Wu was third after shooting a gross of 43 on the front nine and 39 on the back for a total score of 82.
A total of 142 players participated in the tournament:
• Championship flight, 8 players
• A Flight, 19
• B Flight, 16
• C Flight, 39
• Seniors Flight, 20
• Super Senior Flight, 11
• Ladies Flight, 29
Each of the flight first-place winners received $500, gift certificates from Subway and a 21-year-old Ballantine’s whisky from Titan Imports.
Second placers received $300, gift certificates from Subway and wine while third placers took home $200, gift certificates from Subway and wine.
The rest of the results and the amount of funds raised by MV for the tournament beneficiary, Karidat Social Services, will be published in Variety’s upcoming editions.
Peter “Dung” Tenorio, 2nd left, poses with Marianas Variety president Amier Younis, left, and siblings Farah Younis, 2nd right, and Salam Younis during the awards ceremony of the MV Founder’s Memorial Golf Tournament at LaoLao Bay Golf & Resort on Saturday.
Joshua Atalig, 2nd left, poses with Marianas Variety president Amier Younis, left, and siblings Farah Younis, 2nd right, and Salam Younis during the awards ceremony of the MV Founder’s Memorial Golf Tournament at LaoLao Bay Golf & Resort on Saturday.
Peter “Dung” Tenorio sets up for the tee off during the Marianas Variety Founder’s Memorial Golf Tournament at Laolao Bay Golf & Resort on Saturday.
