For more than a year now, amateur hotshots like Angelo Que, Jerome Delariarte, Artemio Murakami, Raymund Sangil, Cookie LaO, Juami Rocha and Hanson So Jr. have been pounding the fairways and are on regular swing check under respected coach Bong Lopez.
As part of a developmental team being supported by College Assurance Plan, the opportunity to reach their maximum potential as amateurs will always be there.
Already acquainted with CAP’s crusade on investing on the future especially on health and education, players like Que are not wasting any chance to reach their amateur prime especially now that the Philippine professional tour has been revived.
They are, in essence, being reared towards that professional direction.
But their inevitable march to their pro ranks should not pose a problem. CAP is now in the midst of establishing a program that will ensure a steady turnover of top golfers using its vast resources, especially its special tie-up with the Manila Southwoods Golf and Country Club the training facilities of which are still one of the best in the country.
The major events are coming up and the CAP-supported talents from Manila Southwoods are getting all set for the big push.
The summer grind continues for Que when he defends the national amateur match-play crown at Alabang with bosom buddy Delariarte eyeing a rematch after his blowout loss last year.
The CAP-Southwoods team will also be chasing the low amateur honor of next month’s Philippine Open, not to mention the national team berths to the Southeast Asian Games this year in Malaysia and also the annual Putra Cup.
For the people behind the CAP-Southwoods team, there is always that extra effort to work on a winning formula that others would find of good use someday. Clubs will always be enticed to ask corporations to take their cause.
If that happens, more scratch players of the best breed will soon emerge, strong national teams will be sent abroad and the professional tour will take in well-honed golfers that will no doubt raise the bar of competition.