Pinoy Golfer Blog

65th PAL Interclub – Return to Davao

MGB — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 09:16:06 +0000

It’s been six years since I first came to Davao as a member of the media covering the PAL Interclub. That almost seems like another lifetime ago; I was the associate editor of Swing Magazine and we were in the process of producing our 6th issue. I was very much a rookie then and wandering around wide eyed and in amazement of everything that was going on around me.

This time is different.

The 65th PAL Interclub is the biggest ever. This year 160 teams have made the trek to Davao to compete in both the seniors and regular divisions. At ten persons per team, that makes 1,600 golfers that have come to test themselves against two very different and challenging golf courses.

Apo Golf Club and Rancho Palos Verdes are vastly different golf courses that demand different skills from the golfer. Apo is the the quintessential Philippine Golf Course; carabao grass fairways and zoysia greens with canals and ditches cris-crossing the tree lined fairways. A lot of local knowledge is required to score well at Apo. You can be in the middle of the fairway and not have a shot at the green because of overhanging limbs from one or more of the huge trees that define the fairways. The greens are large and difficult to read. Most newcomers will have a lot of trouble deciphering the break. A good caddy is essential to a good round at Apo unless you’re a local.

Rancho Palos Verdes on the other hand is a modern course design. Built in the late 1990′s, this Andy Dye design is a stunning piece of work, set on a plateau above the sprawling Dole banana plantation. Like the other Dye courses at Eagle Ridge and Intramuros, the greens have significant slopes built into them. Flat lies are at a premium on this golf course and you have to know which spots to hit to find them. The magnificent vistas conspire to distract you from the shot at hand and present a small consolation to the big number you just put on your scorecard.

In this light, it is with particular satisfaction that I played well enough on both these golf courses to win the PAL Media Tournament that precedes the Interclub. I played Rancho Palos Verdes on two previous occasions when I was here six years ago but had not played Apo at all. I had the chance to score better at both tracks but for the lack of the requisite knowledge, I probably would have.

Perhaps it was Davao’s way of welcoming me back. I’m sure the participants in the Interclub wish the courses will be as kind to them as they were to me.

2011 Lexus Cup

MGB — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 02:57:54 +0000

I get invited to a lot of tournaments but there is one that stands out in my mind as the most organized, most meticulously run that I’ve had the pleasure to play in the whole year; the Lexus Cup.

The tournament is organized by Lexus Philippines as a way to thank their customers and the Lexus Club of the Philippines for their support and continued patronage. The only requirement for entry is that you must own a Lexus. There is no entry fee, the carts and caddies are included in your entry as was the sumptuous dinner that followed but more on that later.

I was incredibly excited when I received my invitation to the tournament which came two months in advance of the appointed date. I played and practiced in the hope of winning one the their stunning trophies – a model of the exotic Lexus LFA mounted on a dense wooden base. I have a lot of trophies but I’m a long time car nut and this one would have a special place in my collection.

Upon arrival at the plush Sta. Elena Golf and Country Club, I was greeted by Lexus Philippines’ Spencer Yu, who generously instructed the staff that even if I did not arrive in one of their vehicles, I was to be accorded two mulligans as their guest. When I walked into the club, my jaw hit the proverbial floor. Sitting in the lobby was a white Lexus LFA one of the most stunning, most expensive sports cars on the planet. I must have spent a good ten minutes there, feasting my eyes before being escorted by a lovely lady to the registration area.

There were more surprises when I made my way to my locker. Not only did the locker have my name on it, but it contained everything I’d need for my round; two pre-laundered Crest Link golf shirts resplendent with the Lexus logo (one for the round and the other for the awarding ceremonies), a fairway towel and bath towel with my name embroidered on it, a cap with the Lexus logo and ball marker clip with two markers, a box of Titleist Pro V1 golf balls with the Lexus logo and a toiletries bag with my name on it filled with every conceivable item I’d need for my post golf cleanup. If that’s not being pampered, I don’t know what is!

To kick the tournament off, there was the obligatory ceremonial tee-off by Lexus Motors Philippines Chair Alfred Ty, Lexus Motors Philippines president Danny Isla and the president of Sta. Elena Golf and Country Club Bryan Cockrell. By this time most of the participants were at the driving range warming up for their round and seldom does everyone make it back to the club for the ceremonies but not this time. Danny Isla ordered the LFA fired up and the piercing sound of the high revving V10 brought every single participant back to the clubhouse in a hurry! That might have been the single most memorable moment of the tournament; listening to that V10 wail!

I was paired with Sherwin Chua Lim, vice president for marketing of Toyota Motors Philippines and my publisher, Anton Cabangon of the Business Mirror. We had a great time together which probably accounts for how well we all played. The weather was beautiful and the course was in superb condition, as usual. All of which added to just how well the day went for us all.

Then on to the awards dinner. Or should I say feast. The food was, for lack of a more adequate term, simply amazing! It was a multi-course extravaganza featuring Sta. Elena’s Chef Joseph Goh’s signature black pepper crab and prime rib as the centerpieces but preceded by everything but the kitchen sink. I deeply regret not having the capacity to enjoy the food to the fullest. If I’d known the full extent of the meal beforehand, I’d have fasted for the week prior to the tournament.

The rest of the night was marked by fellowship and camaraderie. Sherwin and Anton won first and second respectively in the guest division. Sta. Elena president Bryan Cockrell showed his knowledge and mastery of his home course by taking the low gross award while Dax Garcia won the overall low net.

Me? I lucked out and hit my best drive of the tournament on the long drive hole and was awarded a Lexus driver for the effort. It’s too beautiful to ever put into play and although I didn’t take home one of the trophies that I coveted from the start, the Lexus driver has a very special place on my wall.

This has been and will always be one of the tournaments that I eagerly look forward to playing in; not for the goodies that are given to us but for the standard of which the event is run. It is perfection. Just like the cars that bear the tournament’s name.

Chin up, Miguel!

MGB — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 02:10:39 +0000

Miguel Tabuena might not have won the Philippine Open but with the 96th Philippine Open televised in 200 countries, he gave the world all a taste of his awesome potential. It is one of the most difficult things in golf to follow one record round with another. Granted, that doesn’t make his final round 81 any easier to swallow, but this experience is sure to make him stronger in the future. Few 17-year olds get to play in the championship flight of a professional tournament so Miguel is still ahead of the curve.

Chin up, Miguel! You still made us proud.

Besides Miguel, I can’t think of anyone more worthy of winning the 96th Philippine Open than Mardan Mamat. Not only did the 44-year old play amazing golf in the unforgiving arena that is Wack Wack’s East Course but he showed amazing grace under some of the harshest conditions on Tour.

There was unbelievable calm and serenity on Mardan’s countenance all week. He never lost that winning smile at any time in the championship. He had planned on how he wanted to play the course and stuck to it. He worked on hitting just hitting fairways and greens. On many holes he never even looked at the pins, he just aimed for the fat part of the greens. The strategy paid off handsomely.

He’d worked incredibly hard after a very poor year when he put too much on his plate by trying to play in two tours (Japan and Asia) at the same time. His golf suffered and so did his confidence. He considered retiring from competitive golf, but his wife Naz would have none of it.

“You love golf so much,” she told him, “you just need to work hard and believe in yourself.” He broke down in tears recounting this story to the press. After 6 winless years, victory is sweet indeed.

Mo Joong Kyung fell out of contention quickly on the final day’s play losing five strokes in his first seven holes. But the veteran showed his resiliency by bouncing back with four birdies in the middle of his round to finish in second place on his own.

It would have been so easy for him to hang his head and give up but he didn’t. He persevered and won out in the end by finishing alone in second and with a very healthy paycheck. His performance was an inspiration and should teach us never to give up on a round as long as there are still holes to play.

Lost in the drama and fireworks that marked the last flight, veteran Tony Lascuña worked his way up the leaderboard and finished in a tie for third with Azuma Yano of Japan. He would have finished alone in third if not for a 3-putt bogey on 18. Onyot’s third place equaled his best finish in the national championships matching his performance here when he finished in the same position in 2002 when Rick Gibson won.

EMOTIONAL MARDAN ROMPS TO FIVE-STROKE VICTORY AT ICTSI PHILIPPINE OPEN

MGB — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 00:21:38 +0000

From the Asian Tour -

Manila, February 12: An emotional Mardan Mamat of Singapore coasted to a comfortable five-stroke victory at the ICTSI Philippine Open to end a six-year winless run on Sunday.

The 44-year-old picked up his third Asian Tour victory with a closing one-under-par 71 at the Wack Wack Golf and Country Club’s East course to complete a commanding wire-to-wire victory with an eight-under-par 280 aggregate.

Mo Joong-kyung of Korea threatened briefly before finishing a distant second in the US$300,000 Asian Tour event, signing off with a 74 while top Filipino honours went to Antonio Lascuna who returned a 69 for tied third place with Japan’s Azuma Yano, who signed for a 70.

However, it was heartbreak hotel for Filipino teenager Miguel Tabuena, who started the final round one shot back of Mardan but faded badly with an 81 to settle for a share of 11th position.

After tapping in for his lone bogey on 18, Mardan fell on his knees to celebrate his return into the winner’s enclosure. He later broke in tears when asked if thoughts of not winning had crept into his mind during his barren years.

“My wife (Naz) encouraged and pushed me a lot to practice. She said you love the game so much and why must you quit. There was a time when I said it was time for me to be a golf coach but she said not in your dreams,” said a teary-eyed Mardan.

“It feels great. It’s always good to win a tournament, especially the oldest national Open in Asia. I didn’t do any stupid mistakes and kept my ball in play all the time. The whole week I’m very patient and hit the ball good,” added the Singaporean, who pocketed the top cheque of US$47,550, an OMEGA Seamaster Aqua Terra Golf watch and a BlackBerry smartphone.

With his closest challengers Mo and Tabuena starting poorly, a rock solid Mardan raced three shots clear with a birdie on the fourth hole and by the time he turned in 35, the veteran was six shots clear of the pack. The back nine was a procession as he waltzed to victory.

“After the eighth hole, I was quite relieved. That hole, you can pick up a big number and I managed to get a par. It may have looked easy but it wasn’t easy. There was pressure, especially at the start of the round.

“All the good memories from winning the Singapore Masters (in 2006) came back. When I won then, I led from the first day to the end. That gave me a lot of memories which boosted my confidence,” said Mardan, who also earned a spot in next week’s co-sanctioned Avantha Masters in India.

Mo endured a horrendous opening seven holes, going five over par in seven holes before rallying briefly with four birdies in mid-round to pull to within four shots of Mardan. But the Singaporean tightened his grip with a second birdie of the day on the 14th hole to restore his six shots advantage as Mo bogeyed the same hole.

Chasing a third Asian Tour victory, the Korean rued two poor tee shots which led to his double bogeys on three and seven. “I just hit two bad shots, that was it,” said the Korean. “That can happen on this course. I hit two poor tee shots and made those doubles. The way Mardan was playing, I wasn’t going to catch him. I was just focused on finishing second,” said Mo.

Lascuna finished as top Filipino after a solid round that included four birdies in his outward nine. “I’m super happy to shoot three under. Before teeing off, I had a good feeling. I hit my drives good and I felt I could get it to two or three under. When I saw Mardan standing at eight under, I just focused on finishing second or third. I played with Mardan yesterday and he putted so good. He’s also strong mentally,” said Lascuna.

It was a nightmarish final day for the 17-year-old Tabuena, who was hoping to become the youngest winner of the ICTSI Philippine Open. He turned in 39 with five bogeys against two birdies and his hopes all but vanished with a triple bogey on the 10th following an errant drive into the woods.

“After bogeying the first, my confidence went. I was aiming for fairways and greens but it didn’t happen. I’ll learn from this,” said Tabuena.

Scores after round 4 of the The Asian Tour – ICTSI Philippine Open being played at the par 72, 7,222 Yards Wack Wack GcC course (a- denotes amateur):

280 – Mardan MAMAT (SIN) 69-70-70-71.
285 – MO Joong-kyung (KOR) 72-71-68-74.
287 – Antonio LASCUNA (PHI) 71-71-76-69, Azuma YANO (JPN) 69-75-73-70.
288 – Ben FOX (USA) 69-73-74-72.
289 – Adam BLYTH (AUS) 73-70-75-71, Paul DONAHOO (AUS) 71-72-74-72.
290 – Arnond VONGVANIJ (THA) 73-72-74-71, KIM Gi-whan (KOR) 71-75-72-72, HWANG Inn-choon (KOR) 77-72-67-74.

MARDAN HOLDS ONE-SHOT LEAD OVER FAST-CHARGING TABUENA AT ICTSI PHILIPPINE OPEN

MGB — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 09:48:27 +0000

Manila, February 11: Singaporean veteran Mardan Mamat rode a hot putter to hold a slender one-shot lead over a fast-charging Filipino teenager Miguel Tabuena after the third round of the ICTSI Philippine Open on Saturday.

Mardan, chasing a third Asian Tour victory, holed several huge par saves en route to a battling two-under-par 70 at a wind-swept Wack Wack Golf and Country Club’s East course to lead on seven-under-par 209 in Asia’s oldest national Open.

His overnight three-shot lead was reduced by Tabuena’s brilliant course record-equaling 67 while Korea’s Mo Joong-kyung fired a 68 to trail by two on 211 with only the top-three players breaking par after 54 holes.

Earlier, Hwang Inn-choon of Korea established a new course record 67 following the East course’s renovation last year to move to tied fourth place on level par for the US$300,000 Asian Tour tournament alongside American Ben Fox, who returned a 74.

The 44-year-old Mardan, winless since 2006, didn’t swing it as smoothly as Friday’s second round but his putter came through as he carded four birdies against two bogeys to set up an intriguing battle of the ages with local favourite and 17-year-old Tabuena. Mardan produced huge par saves on eight, nine and 12 to that kept his round going.

“I was struggling with my irons and hit a lot of fliers. But I holed a lot of putts. The putt on number eight was unbelievable. Yesterday, I hit the ball good but didn’t putt it good. Today, I didn’t hit it good but putted good. It comes and goes. Hopefully both will come together tomorrow,” said Mardan, who hit only eight greens in regulation but was aided by requiring 23 putts in his round.

“You don’t know what will happen tomorrow. As I said, this course can make you happy and it can make you angry. Both of them (Tabuena and Mo) shot a 67 and 68, I think that’s a good round with the winds. Hopefully it’ll be my turn tomorrow to shoot that number.

“It’ll be the first time I’ll play with Miguel. He’s a good potential. He’s got a good swing and good guidance from Rick Gibson (his coach). He’s certainly an upcoming Asian player,” added Mardan.

The tenacious Tabuena closed the gap on Mardan with a glorious start, sinking four birdies in his opening six holes. He notched three more birdies against two bogeys to set up what would be the biggest day of his young golfing life just yet.

“I can’t wait for tomorrow. It wasn’t easy. I just told myself to stay patient and hit fairways and greens and it worked. I started out quick. It is really hard to make mistakes when you’re in a zone. It was fun. It was really hard to make mistakes,” said Tabuena, who is bidding to become the third youngest winner on the Asian Tour.

With a contingent of 20 family members, and coach Gibson who also made the cut, in the gallery, Tabuena showed no fear despite his lack of experience. He said he would go all-out to win the ICTSI Philippine Open on Sunday.

“Just play the same way that I’ve been playing and hopefully I will come out on top. There was a lot of pressure especially when you’re playing on home soil. I’m happy I coped with it,” he said.

“I’ve got nothing to lose. I just want to go out there and have some fun. It’ll mean everything (if I can win). I’ve been dreaming about winning this tournament for a long time. I just kept telling myself that I can win the Philippine Open,” he added.

Like Mardan, Mo is also chasing a third Asian Tour victory and he stayed in contention with a five-birdie round. “Not bad going into the last round,” said the Korean.

“The winds started to blow really hard on a few holes and it was pretty tough. The front nine, you could make a few birdies as some holes are short but the back nine is pretty tough. I think I played what I wanted.

“It was fun watching Miguel. It’s pretty good for a 17-year-old. He’s a good putter and very determined at what he wants to do. It was fun to watch.”

Scores after round 3 of the The Asian Tour – ICTSI Philippine Open being played at the par 72, 7,222 Yards Wack Wack GCC course (a- denotes amateur):

209 – Mardan MAMAT (SIN) 69-70-70.
210 – Miguel TABUENA (PHI) 71-72-67.
211 – MO Joong-kyung (KOR) 72-71-68.
216 – HWANG Inn-choon (KOR) 77-72-67, Ben FOX (USA) 69-73-74.
217 – Azuma YANO (JPN) 69-75-73, Paul DONAHOO (AUS) 71-72-74.
218 – Berry HENSON (USA) 73-73-72, KIM Gi-whan (KOR) 71-75-72, Marcus BOTH (AUS) 72-72-74, Thanyakon KHRONGPHA (THA) 70-74-74, Mars PUCAY (PHI) 70-74-74, Danny CHIA (MAS) 75-69-74, Adam BLYTH (AUS) 73-70-75, Antonio LASCUNA (PHI) 71-71-76.
219 – Pasamet POGAMNERD (THA) 74-75-70, Joonas GRANBERG (FIN) 72-74-73, Wade ORMSBY (AUS) 70-76-73, Rahil GANGJEE (IND) 75-70-74, Arnond VONGVANIJ (THA) 73-72-74, Anthony KANG (USA) 69-75-75, Sam CYR (USA) 71-72-76.

Courtesy of the Asian Tour

Go Miguel!

MGB — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 09:19:07 +0000

Miguel Tabuena equaled the course record of the newly revamped East Course at Wack Wack Golf and Country Club with a 5-under par round of 67 in the swirling winds that have come to define the Philippine Open Golf Championship. The mark was set earlier in the day by Korea’s Hwang Inn Choon.

Playing in the second to the last flight with Mo Joong Kyung and Ben Fox of the United States, Tabuena and Mo started the fireworks early when both birdied the first hole. They seemed to feed off each other as both birdied three of their four opening holes. Both threw the odd bogey into their round (Mo at the 6th and Miguel at the difficult 8th) but it mattered little when the birdies were falling with such ease and frequency. Tabuena made the turn in 32 and Mo in 33 and they weren’t done yet.

Miguel kept his torrid pace going with birdies at 10 and 11 then he seemed to cool off with a string of pars before another bogey on 17. Mo managed just one more birdie on 11 and also cooled off as they hit the more difficult holes on the inward nine. Mo finished a stroke back of Tabuena with a 68 and will be in the final group tomorrow with Mardan Mamat who continues to lead with a 3-day total of -7 after another 70 today.

Although Mamat continues to hold sway, his round was far from routine. He did not strike the ball as well as he had the day before but luckily his putter caught fire.

“I was struggling with my irons” Mamat said after his round. “Hit a lot of fliers. Holed a lot of putts. Putt on number 8 was unbelievable that I made it. Yesterday, I hit the ball good but didn’t putt it good. Today I didn’t hit it good but putted good. It comes and goes. Hopefully both will come together tomorrow.”

“You don’t know what will happen tomorrow,” Mamat continued, “As I said, this course can make you happy and can make you angry. Both of them (Tabuena and Mo) shot 67 and 68, I think that’s a good round with the windy conditions. Hopefully it’ll be my turn tomorrow to shoot that number.”

After his record round today Tabuena can’t wait to tee it up again tomorrow. “I’m happy with my round. It wasn’t easy. I just told myself to stay patient and hit fairways and greens and it worked. I started out quick. Started with a lot of birdies, I don’t even remember. It’s really hard to make mistakes when you’re in the zone and when you have momentum. I had a lot of momentum. It was fun! It was really hard to make mistakes.”

“I’ve got nothing to lose” Tabuena continued, “It’s my second year on Tour. I just want to go out there and have some fun. It’ll mean everything (if I can win). I’ve been dreaming about winning this tournament for a long time. I just kept telling myself today that I can win the Philippine Open.”

Mo was likewise happy with his round in spite of the difficult conditions.

“Not bad going into the last round. Winds started to blow really hard on a few holes and it was pretty tough out there. The front nine, you could make a lot of birdies as some holes are short but the back nine is pretty tough. I’m pretty happy with my round today.”

Mo was all praise for his young flight mate. “It was fun watching Miguel. Pretty good for a 17-year old. A good putter. Very determined at what he wants to do. It was great fun to watch.”

It should be great fun for all of us to watch tomorrow. Go Miguel!

Why is this man smiling?

MGB — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 01:30:02 +0000

You’d be smiling too if you had a 3-shot lead going into the weekend on one of the hardest golf courses that the Tour plays on all year.

Mardan Mamat turned his round on Wack Wack Golf and Country Club’s vaunted East Course into a virtual stroll in the park, laughing his way around holes that reduced his fellow competitors to tears. All this in the swirling winds that finally made their appearance at the 2012 Philippine Open.

Mamat played bogey-free golf and could seemingly do no wrong. Not that he didn’t hit any poor shots; he did but managed to miss in the right places as he did on 16 and 17. This streak of luck late in his round allowed him to maintain his 3-shot lead going into the weekend.

The only really dicey moment in his round occurred on 16 when he missed the green short and just below one of the bunkers. The lie he faced was quite tight and this forced him to bump the ball into the slope and release towards the pin when it hit the green. He did this to perfection, leaving his par putt stone dead.

After the round Mamat said ” I’m very pleased today. I shot a bogey free round today, two birdies and the rest were pars. I’m pleased. Going into the last three holes, I told myself that it would be a bonus if I could stay bogey free and I managed to do it.”

Mamat might be pleased but he knows that he can’t be complacent with a 3-shot lead. Leads have a nasty habit of disappearing at Wack Wack East. Just ask Anthony Kang and Mars Pucay.

The lanky Kang, the winner here in 1999, was the early leader when he started at 3-under par on the back nine of the East Course. After making the turn at even par for the day, he made birdies on the fifth and seventh holes to vault into the lead at 5-under for the tournament. Then disaster struck. He doubled number eight then after driving his ball into an awkward lie on nine (his last hole), he dubbed the ball into the hazard and walked off the course with a triple. His finishing hole erased all the gains he’d worked so hard for the previous 35-holes.

Mars Pucay didn’t fare much better.

Like Kang, he started the second round at 2-under par on the back nine. After an even par outward nine, he ran up three birdies in the first four holes of his inward nine. Then disaster struck. He made bogey on the par 5 fifth and followed that up with a triple on the par 4 seventh and subsequently bogeyed the dreaded eighth. Luckily, he did not share Kang’s fate on nine and limped home and stands at even par heading into the weekend.

Defending champ Berry Henson had trouble keeping his round going. He mixed 4 birdies with 3 bogeys and a double on 16 and stands at 2-over for the tournament. He has an outside chance but needs to retain his title but he’s going to need a lot of help from the players in front of him.

Young Miguel Tabuena is living up to the pre-tournament hype.

The youngest professional in the history of the Asian Tour kept his wits around him and his emotions in check and stands at 1-under par for the tournament. He has a real chance of winning the tournament which would set a new record for the youngest to ever win the Philippine Open. If this were to happen, it would erase the heartbreak of losing his card by a mere $250 last year.

We wish him well.

Ben Fox of the USA is the other youngster on the leaderboard. An impressive striker of the golf ball, Fox showed incredible maturity and bucked a 1-over par round of 73 to sit tied for second with two Filipinos; veteran Tony Lascuña and Ferdie Aunzo.

The veteran Lascuña, a “steady Eddie” sort of player used a revamped and revitalized putting stroke to craft rounds of 71-71 and sits in a good position to contend for the crown. He has great respect for Wack Wack’s East Course having finished second to Canadian and now Philippine resident Rick Gibson in 2002. He’s been here before and this time he wants to go all the way.

Aunzo is something of a wild card. A somewhat streaky player, he mixed 3 birdies and a bogey into a 2-under par round of 70 to put himself into contention. Like Lascuña, he’s been in this position before having led the ICTSI Tour Championship last year going into the final round only to collapse horribly in the final round. He’s banking on the strength of that experience to hold on this time and contend for the title.

We wish them all well.

What’s Wrong With This Picture?

MGB — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 09:54:14 +0000

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 all honed their games on the fairways and greens of our country.

This begs the question; why are they successful and why can’t Filipinos achieve the same success?

It certainly isn’t for a lack of finances or resources. Lee whipped the entire Philippine training team composed of Lovelyn Guioguio, Dottie Ardina, Jayvie Agojo, Sunshine Baraquiel, Daniela Uy and Andie Unson, all of whom are housed and financed by ICTSI and coached by Bong Lopez at the ultra-exclusive The Country Club. They live, sleep and eat golf, don’t they? Where are we going wrong?

Some I spoke to about the Koreans’ success attribute it to their oppressive system where the children are treated like inmates in a golfing concentration camp where they are driven mercilessly, don’t study and are beaten when they fail.

Wrong.

Yes, the regimen is intense. The goals are lofty so everyone must work hard to achieve them. The training is balanced by education. English and mathematics are key components of their curriculum and time is made for this part of their lives. But the ultimate goal is a spot on one of the worlds’ professional golf tours so that is the focus of their time here. They are far from oppressed youths. Make no mistake; they are here because they want to be.

Two of the largest Korean golf academies in the country are at Eagle Ridge Golf and Country Club of which I am a member. On weekends I’m often at the club before the crack of dawn until the waning hours of sunlight and have plenty of time to watch the youngsters go through their routine. Before dawn, they are hit the road for a pre-dawn run. After that a quick shower, breakfast then an hour at the driving range and then off to the golf course. After the round they go straight back to the driving range for yet more work on the practice range then finish the day chipping and putting.

It is a disciplined schedule befitting that of professional golfer and is in fact the ideal preparation for life on tour. It exactly such a routine that elevated Thai superstar Thongchai Jaidee to the top of the Asian Tour and subsequently to the upper echelons of the European Tour. It is a routine that will take a golfer to the limits of his or her potential and beyond.

There are no secrets to sports development. There is so much known about athletes and their psyche these days that all we need do is to emulate the routines of those that have already achieved success. But it requires passion, dedication and discipline to put in the hard work day in and day out even when you’d rather curl up in bed and catch a few extra Z’s or hang out at the movies with your friends.

Perhaps this is where we fall short. After all, there is so much more to life than golf, isn’t there?

Not if you want to get to the top.

Time to Give Thanks

MGB — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 04:56:38 +0000

Christmas is upon us and another year is about to be consigned to the dustbin of our collective consciousness. It is the time to reflect and give thanks.

I give thanks that (finally!) a Filipino is at the top of the Asian Tour’s Order of Merit. Too many years have passed since the era of Larry Montes, Celestino Tugot, Ben Arda, Paterno Braza and Rudy Labares. Filipinos can play this game and play it well and today, Juvic Pagunsan is proving that he is the next great Filipino golfer. May he continue to represent us well in his overseas campaigns and enjoy our unwavering support.

We should all be thankful to all that are working to grow the game in the country. Enrique Razon for efforts in professional golf, the Golf Manager’s League of the Philippines for putting together the Pilipinas Amateur Golf Series and to Martin Lorenzo for his support of junior golf. Without them the game would be all the poorer.

I’m thankful to work with such a great team of people on Pinoygolfer.com, the Business Mirror and on Impact Magazine. All the passion in the world would not make this possible, but having the right people behind you makes it seem easy. Guys, I couldn’t do this without you.

Finally, I give thanks for the blessing of being able to bring you closer to golf in my own small way. It is an honor and a pleasure to give back to the game and the people that share my passion for it. Golf has given me so much; great friends, good times and the sheer joy of chasing a little white ball on the fairways that I feel obligated to give back. I hope that sharing my passion will help keep the fires burning in your hearts and serve to inspire others to play the game.

May the joy of Christmas be in your hearts always!

The NO-SHOW GOLFER – an irresponsible breed of golfer

MGB — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 12:43:11 +0000

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 to participate without pre-payment. Unfortunately for organizers, because the No Show Golfer has no financial equity, there is no commitment to show up,
when they simply change their mind for any of a number of convenient reasons, such as waking up late, rainy day, lazy day, late night, hang over or whatever.

However if one were to watch a stage performance, a movie, a show, a ticket is purchased beforehand, and if for any reason one is unable to attend, the ticket and its cost is lost and forfeited.

This is not the case in the golfing industry. For some reason golfers expect to be able to participate by simply making a reservation, and it becomes a right to play. Some even just show up as walk ins, expecting to participate, the walk ins are another breed, but I will allow others to comment on these types. I will contain my opinion on the No Show Golfer.

Perhaps the No Show Golfer is are not aware or perhaps is totally oblivious to the fact that organizers have to commit to a catering minimum guarantee and the no show golfer’s meal is in fact paid for. Therefore the No Show Golfer is a negative cost player who unwittingly gets organizers to spend on their behalf, the No Show Golfer does not incur an expense, nothing to lose, nothing forfeited.

The No Show Golfer also disrupts flights and pairings, they also create problems in the allocation of resources such as golf carts, caddies. The No Show Golfer creates anxiety, tension and worry for organizers. The No Show Golfer makes organizers incur additional and unnecessary cost because of excess giveaways earmarked for all participants.

It does not take much to send a text to the organizers to say they will not attend, a day or so in advance. The industry, organizers and tournaments should put a stop to the practice of unpaid reservations. Pay in advance should become the standard practice. It is only fair to do so.

Golf media is part of the solution to highlight this breed of golfer in articles and publicity. Tournament organizers are part of the solution to no longer accept unpaid reservations. Golf Course management are part of the solution as they can likewise campaign to educate members that prepayment of tournament fee will become mandatory.

The No Show Golfer should become an extinct species.

This situation can only be good for the industry.