Team Saipan members pose for a photo during the 8th Annual Marianas Ladies Cup Challenge held over the weekend at Coral Ocean Resort.
SAIPAN has snapped a seven-year losing streak against Guam by winning the perpetual trophy of the 8th Marianas Ladies Cup Challenge over the weekend at Coral Ocean Resort Saipan.
The annual two-day golf tournament pits Saipan against Guam.
This year, Team Saipan consisted of Yuko Togawa, Sae Hee Kim, Niramai Koebel, Sunny Hyun Son, Flor Jones, Eunae Jang, Lou Kim, Terry Guerrero, Eunae Chang, Sherlyn Jones, Lydia Tan, and Kyunga Park.
On day 1, Saturday, Saipan and Guam went head-to-head in two-woman scramble matches.
Saipan’s Sunny Hyun Son and Sae Hee Kim, along with Sherlyn Jones and Lou Kim, won their respective matches while Guam claimed two.
The fourth match between Saipan’s Terry Guerrero and Yuko Togawa and their Guam counterparts ended in a split with both teams earning half a point for a 2.5-2.5 tie.
But in the sixth and final match, Saipan’s Flor Jones and Kyunga Park bested their Guam opponents to clinch victory, 3.5-2.5.
Day two focused on individual match games.
A seesaw battle ensued between both teams, which were deadlocked, 4-4, after eight complete matches.
However, Team Saipan finished strong with Eunae Jang, Eunae Chang, Lydia Tan and Kyunga Park claiming the last four matches to seal the deal, 8-4.
“I’m really happy that the Saipan team won this tournament!” Saipan Team Captain Terry Gurrero said. “Although there are some new members on the Guam and Saipan teams, most of them have been with us since the beginning and we motivate each other.”
She added, “We want to continue this friendly ladies tournament with our neighboring island — it’s all about getting together and having a great time.”
Guerrero said they would also like “to extend our utmost appreciation to all the sponsors that have contributed to this event and to our exceptional group of teams this year for their great performance during the two-day tournament! And most especially, a big thank you to the Guam team for coming to Saipan for the competition!”
The tournament sponsors included the Marianas Visitors Authority, Tan Holdings, BFJ Corporation/Top Shelf, Northern Marianas College and Marpac.
