BACOLOD—Under stifling heat and over a course buffeted by strong winds, Eastridge-Primehomes on Tuesday played according to pre-tournament talk and seized command of the 76th edition of the Philippine Airlines (PAL) Interclub Men’s Championship division.

Pooling 99 points at Negros Occidental Golf and Country Club formerly known as Marapara, Eastridge took a four-point lead over many-time conqueror and defending champion Manila Southwoods as nonplaying skipper Gimo Asuncion marveled at how his charges played after two straight heart-rending finishes.

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“Everyone learned their lessons, personally and as a team,” Asuncion told the Inquirer after getting 35 points from Rolando Bregente’s one-over-par 71, 33 from Chris Remata and either 31s of Gary Sales and Edison Tabalin. “They all remember what happened, especially last year.”

“They all improved using the lessons of last year,” Asuncion said, referring to the five-point lead they bungled in the final round in Cagayan de Oro and then losing by six to Southwoods.

The Carmona-based squad tallied 95 after 34 points from Perry Bucay, 31 from Shin Suzuki and 30 from Santino Laurel as reigning national champion Zeus Sara failed to count in shooting a 29 in a flight with the seasoned Sales.

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But nonplaying Southwoods skipper Thirdy Escaño is not about to panic.

“It’s good that our struggles came when it did, in the first round,” Escaño said. “It was just the breaks of the game from how I saw it. We have three more rounds to make up for how we played today and I am still confident.”

Escaño said that he will play champion ex-pro Jerome Delariarte when action shifts to the shorter Bacolod Golf Club (formerly Binitin), even as Eastridge has Jeff Lumbo at its disposal.

“We’re just hoping that conditions be a little easier [in the second round],” Asuncion said. INQ