Young Asistio leads RP bets in AsPac junior golf

Tonton Asistio, the 14-year-old who beat his older rivals for the Class A plum in the Callaway Junior World qualifying recently, will lead the country’s delegation to the 25th Asia-Pacific Junior Golf Championships at the Damai Indah Golf and Country Club in Bumi Serbong Damai in Jakarta, Indonesia early next month.

Asistio, a Manila Southwoods talent playing against the country’s best players in the 15-17 years bracket, completed his masterful romp of the 44-player field with a 75 for a 54-hole aggregate of 220 that was three better than the 223 of Justin Tambunting, who scored a 76.

Asistio will be leaving for Indonesia together with 15 other young aces for the Asian Juniors on May 2.

The other RP bets are Jayvie Agojo who also won her division in the JW qualifier, Geleen Handog, Gino Bunyi, Allan John Miñoza, Aaron Dimabuyu, brother Junro and Chris Jordan Mamaril, Wolen Juan Superal and sister Crystal Faith, Mikee Camitoc, Adrian Woo, Joaquin Arroyo, Carlos Fabregas, Allan Guy and James Christian Ricohermoso.

Gerry Handog, international events committee head of the Jungolf Foundation of the Philippines, will head the contingent. The other officials are Oscar Bunyi, Jun Agojo and Antonio Lascuna.

Jungolf chairwoman Amalia "Mommy" Montecillo, who is also among the founders of the Asia-Pacific Junior Golf Confederation, said that the team is strong enough to dominate the resumption of the event which was called off last year due to the SARS scare.

"We’re sending some of our best talents and we expect them to bring home the titles in their respective divisions," said Montecillo.

She said jungolfers like Asistio and Agojo are shaping up to be the next most important talents not just of the country but Asia as well.

Agojo just played for the national team which saw action in the Queen Sirikit Cup in China while Asistio became the youngest ever player to join the Southwoods team in the PAL Interclub.

The Superals, meanwhile, have been lording it over the summer tour and have actually completed two family sweeps with their youngest sister Princess.