Cebu Country Club stole the thunder from host Negros Occidental Golf and Country Club yesterday as the founders' division headed for a wire-to-wire finish in the Philippine Airlines Interclub in Bacolod City.

Playing in his home-course, club champion Jae Yang came up with 32 points or a 4-over-par 74 in medal play as the Negrenses collected 110 points yesterday for a 337 total after three rounds in the second division.

But they saw their 12-point advantage slashed to three with the Cebuanos, buoyed by 31 points from Carl Almario, turning in a tournament-best output of 119 points to raise its record to 334 points.

Cebu's Japanese rookie Kiyofumi Takahashi also turned in 30 points, the same output of Montito Garcia. Mark Dy also counted with 28 points.

Jun B Bantug, whose 23 points did not count on Wednesday, improved with 28 points for Negros, which was unable to squeeze the best out of Gerardo De Leon and Chepe Dulay, who struggled with identical 25s yesterday.

As play shifts to the Bacolod Golf and Country Club in Binitin, Murcia today, skipper Kokoy Locsin is expected to field Chris Infante, Max Javelona, Ray Lim and Jimmy Yusay against a Cebuano side that has won the division the past three years.

Another local team, Victorias Golf, closed in on the friendship division crown by scoring 72 points yesterday to hike its total to 219, good for a share of the lead with Fil-Am Florida.

It's all over but the celebration for Canlubang in the championship division as the Sugar Barons remained relentless by submitting a tournament-high 138 points.

With earlier rounds of 130 and 137, Canlubang's 54-hole total stood at 405 points, 31 points ahead of Southwoods, which only managed a 131 for 374.  Del Monte was just seven shots behind with 267 after a 124.

When the Sugar Barons collect the championship division title today, they will also complete the PAL Interclub's second "three-peat" feat—three championships in both the seniors and regular men's tournaments.

National caddies champion Jessie Balasabas submitted 36 markers, an even-par 70 at the Bacolod Golf and Country Club, to spearhead the Sugar Barons, who also drew 35 from Rufino Bayron, 34 from Paul Echavez and 33 from Mark Fernando.

"I think that the other teams should develop good players like we do," Canlubang team captain Luigi Yulo, whose team is composed mostly of former caddies, said.

"Obviously, the country's junior golf program had completely failed.  We need to develop more talents from the grassroots level," Manotoc, who heads the Philippine Amateur Golf Development Foundation which runs the National Caddies Foundation program, said.

Del Monte is within striking distance of Southwoods, which looked sharp at the start as Tonlits Asistio churned out 38 points, followed by Anthony Fernando's 34 and Miggy Yee's 33.

But Miko Yee limped home with a 26 to count as the last man for the Cavite team.  Chucky Hong, a member of the De La Salle golf team, produced the lowest score of 23.

"The lead is too big to overcome but I told my boys there is nothing to be ashamed of.  We will still play our best tomorrow," said Southwoods skipper Thirdy Escaño.

Villamor shot 120 points for 326 to pull away from the pack in the Sportswriters division, Trailing were Iloilo with 96-308 and Alta Vista 103-304.

Air Bus, Boeing, Bombardier, GE, Solar Sports and MTV Philippines as platinum sponsors.  Action Asia, PACSPORTS, Business Mirror, 105.l fm Crossover and Royal Caribbean are major backers.  Fortune Tobacco, Radio Mindanao Network and People Asia, Callaway Golf, Lufthansa Technik, Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company and Pan Pacific complete the event's backers. *CPT        

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