Fresh from their successful team-up in the National Doubles, Bianca Pagdanganan and Jed Dy seek individual honors this time as they lead the crack international field in the Philippine Amateur Open Golf Championship starting Thursday (Jan. 3, 2019) at Riviera’s Langer course in Cavite.
But while Pagdanganan, 21, looms as one of the players to watch in the ladies division of the 72-hole stroke play championship sponsored by the MVP Sports Foundation, the 15-year-old Dy faces tall odds in his side of the event which features the country’s leading players headed by Aidric Chan, Carl Corpus, Weiwei Gao, Miguel Ilas, Peter Po, Paolo Wong and Kristoffer Arevalo among others.
The Koreans dominated last year’s staging of the annual event organized and conducted by the National Golf Association of the Philippines and serving as part of the PLDT Group National Amateur Golf Tour with Kim Joo Hyung nipping Luis Castro by one and Hwang Min-jeong scoring a record 16-shot romp over compatriot Kim Hee Ji.
But the locals are raring to re-claim the crown last won by the Filipinos in 2016 courtesy of now pro Jobim Carlos and Harmie Constantino with Pagdanganan hoping to ride the momentum of her doubles victory against a field that includes Japanese Tae Saito, Ayumi Takahashi and Riko Nagai along with Koreans Kim Seo Yun, Lee Yeonseo and Kim, Malaysians Natasha Oon and Eliza Kho, Linette Chua, Inez Ng, Linna Loh and Callista Chen of Singapore.
For details, call NGAP at telefax No. (02) 7065926 or at Riviera Golf Club, Inc. at (02) 888-9089 or 0956-8821149 email ngap2009handicap@yahoo.com.
Also on tap is the Special Division for boys and girls’ 12 years old and below as part of NGAP’s continuing talent-search. Leading the boys’ cast are Santino Pineda, Vince Tiamsic and Zack Villaroman while Alethea Gaccion, Venice Tiamsic and Jody Castillo banner the girls’ roster that also drew a slew of Koreans.
Still, focus will be on the centerpiece Open division with 16 Koreans out to crowd the local bets in men’s play along with Liam Cully and Leo Connolly from Ireland, Ricardo Terlajo from Guam, Japanese Atsushi Ueda, Kyosuke and Gen Nagai, Malaysians Ying Hock Hong and Marcus Chuen and Dutch Frank Schneider.
Singapore is also fielding in six players in the event, including Andre Chong and Brandon Han, while Thailand will pin its hopes on Vanchai Luangnitikul and Nopparat Panichphol.