Pinoy Golfer Blog

March was a milestone month for me. I turned 55 on the day of the 1st Impact Golf Cup. This marks the beginning of my career as a senior golfer. Really, I can’t believe this time has come. Apart from a few more aches and pains, I don’t feel too different than I did a few years ago. I still tee it up on the blue tees during my casual rounds and I like to think that I’m still competitive from there. I do have a few trophies that back up that assertion. In fact on the odd occasion and in the company of the right foursome, I’ll even tee it up from the tips without too much stress. I rather enjoy pushing myself as I have in other sports in my pre-golf life. But the calendar doesn’t lie.... Read More

At the recently concluded Philippine Ladies Amateur Open, we were treated to a magnificent display of golf by the 18-year old Korean national Lee Jeong Hwa. Lee put away demons stemming from a meltdown in the final round of the very same tournament two years before and a horrendous triple bogey on the short par 4 eleventh behind her to hold off young Princess Superal for the win. Lee is turning pro in March and we at Impact and Pinoygolfer.com wish her the best. Lee is just the latest in a long line of Koreans who come to the Philippines to train and prepare themselves for careers as playing professionals. It might surprise many to learn that Se Ri Pak, K.J. Choi, Y.E. Yang and a host of others... Read More

This was sent to me by Albert Garcia one of the core organizers of the BRAFE Golf Tournament. Thought I’d share it with y’all. I think we’d all do well to spread this around to our friends and fellow golfers. The NO-SHOW GOLFER – an irresponsible breed of golfer. Golfers who reserve playing slots in tournaments but do not show up are becoming a nuisance to organizers and this inconsiderate practice has to stop. A golfer who makes a reservation to compete in a tournament but decides not to show up on tournament day, has nothing to lose because the No Show Golfer has not paid the tournament fee. It is the unfortunate and current practice by organizers to accept reservations... Read More

Finally! Impact’s maiden issue is here. A bit late but I guess we can chalk that up to growing pains. I feel like a proud dad all over again. I’d like to share the editor’s note with you all; I think it speaks volumes of what we went through to bring this magazine to you. This has been a long time coming. It’s long been my vision to have a magazine that would adequately convey our collective passion for the game of golf. In the process of producing this magazine, we were often discouraged by those we approached for assistance because of the relatively small demographics of the game in the Philippines. It won’t work, they said. Filipino golfers won’t buy magazines, they... Read More

On September 12th of this year, the Philippine Golf Tour dropped a bombshell by announcing the suspension of Juvic Pagunsan, the hottest player on the Tour this year and the current leader of the Tour’s Order of Merit for the rest of the 2011 season. The suspension stemmed for Pagunsan’s sudden withdrawal from the recently concluded jointly sanctioned Aboitiz Invitational in Cebu of the Philippine Golf Tour and Asian Development Tour. According to reports Pagunsan took offence when asked to register his personal caddy with the caddy master of the host Cebu Country Club before teeing off. When asked to do so by the starter, Pagunsan walked off the golf course and later claimed a sore foot... Read More

From Inquirer.net Juvic Pagunsan, the Order of Merit runaway leader with four wins in 10 legs of the ICTSI-Philippine Golf Tour, has been suspended for the remaining six legs of this year’s circuit. The Philippine Golf Tournaments, Inc., organizer of the ICTSI-Philippine Golf Tour, sacked Pagunsan for breach of the PGT guidelines on professional conduct after his last-minute withdrawal from the recent Aboitiz Invitational presented by ICTSI in Cebu City. A source said the crack golfer from Bacolod abandoned the Aboitiz tournament when organizers banned his personal caddy from carrying his bag during a practice round because he refused to register him as required by the Tour rules. Pagunsan,... Read More

The ascendance of Rory McIlroy at the 2011 U.S. Open golf championships was the best thing that’s happened to Tiger Woods. Tiger had hardly been out of the headlines since the now infamous Tiger-gate just outside his house at Isleworth, Florida. After all the girls he fooled around with surfaced, checking himself into rehab for sex addiction, his divorce from his lovely wife Elin, leaving his 3rd swing coach Hank Haney and taking up with heretofore unknown Sean Foley then injuring his left knee (again!) and pulling out of the Players’ Championship and subsequently missing the U.S. Open; Tiger has always been top of mid when golf is discussed anywhere in the world. In fact in the... Read More

By Guest Blogger Adrian Flores of GMA 7 News It has been a remarkable first half so far for the country’s golfing scene. The Philippine Open got back its international status last month when it returned to the regular Asian Tour schedule. The Philippine Golf Tour of golf patron International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI) increased its prize money for the top men’s professionals considerably. The Junior Golf Foundation of the Philippines (JGFP) is once again active in terms of organizing tournaments. “PHL Golf is on an upswing. Hopefully, this trend goes on especially now that the economy is on the rebound,” said Jake Ayson, a long-time serving executive director of the... Read More

Eagle Ridge Golf and Country Club director Ramil Villanueva, Business Mirror publisher Anton Cabangon with Norman Tugot A foundation is being organized in the name of Celestino Tugot, “Ka Tino“ to his best friends to help grow the game in the country. A local golf legend, Tugot is widely regarded as one of the best, if not the best golfers the Philippines has produced. One of only two Golf Hall of Fame awardees and a 6 time Philippine Open champion Ka Tino represented the country 10 times in the World Cup, which is regarded as the Olympics of Golf. He was also the first Filipino athlete to be a guest of the U.S. President at the White House. Norman Tugot, one of Tino’s 2 sons, is spearheading... Read More

As a golfer, I’ve been fortunate to play a lot of the wonderful golf courses in the Philippines. I’ve been struck by their beauty and the depth of their challenges to the golfer. With the phenomenal growth of the game in the Asia Pacific Region, I’ve often wondered why we don’t get more golf tourists here. Yes, we get our share of Korean nationals but surely there are more golfing nations around the world that find value in the beauty of the local golf courses. Well, local golf tourism just got a shot in the arm. Earlier this month, 48 professional and amateur golfers from Australia, including PGA Tour of Australasia and European Tour veteran Rodger Davis, flew into the island paradise... Read More

I found this post on the blog of one of my Facebook friends, Robert Fagan. It’s so beautiful and profound that I just had to share it with you. The original post is here. The Pilgrims called themselves such long before they left for the New World and settled in Massachusetts. They envisioned life as a pilgrimage in which there is an eternal, internal journey of spiritual growth. Golf can be considered a pilgrimage too. It is more than just a trip from the parking lot and clubhouse around nine or eighteen holes and back. There are the many challenges, triumphs, and detours that one encounters along the way that can also make it a transformational process should you choose to perceive it... Read More

Everyone that’s ever picked up a golf is familiar with the expression; “Golf is played between the ears” or a variation thereof. A truer truism you’d be hard pressed to find. After all, there’s no one guarding you, harassing you or otherwise hindering your effort to make that four-footer is there? There’s no one telling you what to do when confronted by that approach shot to the green that’s over water playing back into the wind. So in theory, you have complete control; but do you really? Why is it so hard? Golfers are often victims of their own demons. If not, then why do we yip, shank, chunk or otherwise blow what often appear to be easy shots, shots that we often take for granted,... Read More

Everyone that’s ever picked up a golf is familiar with the expression; “Golf is played between the ears” or a variation thereof. A truer truism you’d be hard pressed to find. After all, there’s no one guarding you, harassing you or otherwise hindering your effort to make that four-footer is there? There’s no one telling you what to do when confronted by that approach shot to the green that’s over water playing back into the wind. So in theory, you have complete control; but do you really? Why is it so hard? Golfers are often victims of their own demons. If not, then why do we yip, shank, chunk or otherwise blow what often appear to be easy shots, shots that we often take for granted,... Read More

Philippine golf got a shot in the arm when Enrique Razon decided to establish the Philippine Golf Tour (PGT). In this it’s first full year of operations, it is just what is needed to spur further growth in the game. A new crop of professionals have established themselves even as a new breed of amateurs herald the coming of the next generation. Here’s a brief rundown on this year’s stars on Tour. Jay Bayron If the Philippine Golf Tour can claim just one success, it is Jay Bayron’s coming of age. One of the top amateurs of his time, on Tour Bayron has blossomed into one of the best. His consistent top tens which include wins at Canlubang and Cebu earned him the Philippine Golf Tour’s... Read More

We were sitting on the Veranda of the Alabang Country Club having a few cold beers when a cousin who’s been in the game a while walked up and joined our conversation. The talk inevitably turned to golf. He went on to remark that the new breed of golfer seemed lacking in the niceties of the game; they lacked the knowledge of manners and etiquette on the golf course that seemed so natural to most golfers. We came to agree that it was mostly due to the fact that most new golfers learn the game from friends and driving range pros. At no point in their learning curve are they introduced to the etiquette of the game unlike junior golfers who were raised in the game by parents and their golf coaches.... Read More