Fresh air

With the smell and paint filling my lungs here at the place called ‘office’ I look forward to the next three days of the Aboitiz Invitational, which would require me to be in wide open spaces where the air smells fresh.

Aside from the fresh air, it also is exciting to see how the pros play a course that I am quite familiar with and how they manage to make those shots that many duffers can only dream of.

Well, the greens seem to have made many pros look very human as only one player has managed to break par from the field of 103.

There were also four, who did not anymore finish yesterday’s opening round due to injuries, which trimmed the field composed of players from the Philippine Tour and the Asian Development Tour.

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I must have missed the announcement when Charles ‘Chuckie’ Hong turned pro earlier this year as it was only a few days ago, that I knew about it from his dad, George.

I used to call Chuckie my favorite junior golfer, but the little boy who I had written countless stories about while he was growing up at the Cebu Country Club, is now a pro golfer and I wish him all the best in his career.

George remains the doting dad, who followed his son around the course yesterday. Even Chuckie’s elder sister, Kim, also joined the gallery.

If there’s one player who I would like to see do well in the Aboitiz Invitational 2011, it is Chuckie.

I now have another favorite jungolfer and he is my son, Nico, who I hope would also one day play in national and international events.

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This could be a week of surprises as I had another very pleasant one yesterday – Noriko Takahashi.

It has been years since I last saw Noriko, who like Chuckie, was also one of those junior golfers of Cebu Country Club, whose golf exploits I followed during my early years as a sportswriter.

Noriko used to dominate all the ladies tournaments of the club while she was a junior golfer. 

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With only ten more days to go, I hope you have already signed up for the ERUF 161 Run on September 11.

This is held as part of the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Emergency Rescue Unit Foundation.

Proceeds will be used to purchase portable defibrillators for the ambulances of ERUF. Entry fee is pegged at P250 per runner for all distances – 12-K, 6-K, and 3-K.

Sign up at any of the three ERUF bases located along Arch. Reyes Ave., Lapu-Lapu City, and the Cebu City Sports Center.

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MILESTONES: Happy birthday greetings today to Regina Encarnacion-Sitoy.

Advance greetings go to those turning a year older tomorrow like Commissioner Tony del Prado of the Cebu City Sports Commission.

More power to you! - THE FREEMAN