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Glory, Glory Beta Sigma
by Ed Abon
Friday, Nov 21 2014, was an auspicious day. It was the day of the UP Golf
Open 2014. It was participated in by about 90 UP alumni, all avid golfers,
who had to wake up early in the morning, brave the early morning rush hour
traffic and forego with heavy hearts their work for the day so they could
punish themselves to a round of competitive golf at the Valley Golf and
Country Club in Antipolo City under the heat of the sun and high humidity.
It is golfing season in the Philippines and almost every week, on weekdays
and weekends, a tournament is being held on the challenging courses in the
metropolis and outlying areas.
Ten hardy brods representing batches from late 50s to the 80s showed up to
represent the Fraternity in this annual UP activity pitting themselves
against all the pretenders as all brods know that there is only one
fraternity in the University of the Philippines, the UP Beta Sigma
Fraternity, and the rest are “barbarians”. They were: Brods Enching
Rodriguez, Torch Manalang, Boyet Fernandez, Ed Abon, Julius Cada, Ross
Fernando, Dan Bautista, Nilo Punzalan, Jito Arreza and Kim Cabatit. The
earliest risers, Brods Enching and Torch, teed off ahead to avoid being in
the same flight with the brods so they could play serious golf. Brods Dan,
Nilo, Jito and Kim started their round at around 8 am and a flight back, a
fivesome, were Brods Boyet, Julius, Ross, Ed and Bert, Ed’s friend from
Washington D.C.
Results on the first hole were ominous, with Brod Julius” approach shot
getting wet while Brod Boyet’s pitch from the fringe found the hole for a
birdie. Subsequent plays of their flight were no different with Brod
Julius, struggling with his round, playing unusually tense looking for
that one good shot to ignite his round. Brods Ed and Ross were laughing at
the spectacle while Brod Boyet continued with his good play. Midway, Brod
Jito summed up his flight’s performance with a statement that Brod Kim had
so far holed two birdies, Brods Dan and Nilo were contributing a lot of
pars but keeping quiet about himself only for the group to find out later
that he was having an exceptional day as well. The group did not have an
inkling how Brods Enching and Torch were faring but they, Brod Torch
specially, were uncharacteristically subdued and offbeat after their
round. Brod Torch would later complain that his caddy did not know
arithmetic. When asked, he would not say why. All in all, the brods made a
total of 10 birdies, decent number of pars, expected number of bogies and
two or three triples.
With the group’s exceptional
performance, it was no surprise that it hauled lots of prizes earning
accolades for the Fraternity. In the class C, Brod Boyet took the
runner-up trophy. In the B division, Brod Ed came up the champion. In the
A class, Brod Jito emerged the runner-up. Brod Kim ran away with a trophy
for the lowest net ending his round with four birdies. The performance of
the brods showed dominance when Brods Kim, Jito, Dan, Nilo and Julius
bagged the Team Championship. The table of the brods were filled with
trophies to the chagrin of the “barbarians” who downed their miseries in
being boisterous almost earning the ire of Brod Torch who was getting
moody as the awarding ceremony wore on and not getting the usual
recognition he thought was his. But wait.
Brod Torch will always be Brod Torch. The brod with the lowest handicap
and the winningest when it comes to major prizes. He became alive again
when the major raffle prize was drawn and his name was called. He jumped
up and down reaching five feet six inches full but he was clearly visible
as everybody was seated. At that very moment, Brod Torch lorded it against
the brods, against the “barbarians”. He was the tallest five feet tall
person in the room.
Beers came aflowing as the brods became the loudest group in the room.
Brod Dan reminisced oft repeated tales and uncovered new tales that added
to the fun of the brods. We were the only group left in the room and yet
the brods were still going at it, enjoying every moment. Brod Julius left
early and he must have bitten his lips so many times as his name was
mentioned too often adding merriment at his expense. The brods observed
that when he is winning he sticks around, the last to leave. He left early
so the brods know what it meant. Not that he minded it, but he was poorer
by 300 PhP after his round.
More beers. But the day ...the
fun had to end. The brods had a blast and they brought home honors to the
Fraternity.
Glory, glory Beta Sigma....
Must dash. I have a flight to catch.
Ed Abon
22 Nov 2014
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