US-bound Jayvie vows to be back for SEAG

Reigning RP Ladies Open champion Jayvie Agojo, so young yet so much in a hurry, leaves for the United States next week to pursue a full scholarship grant in golf at the Pepperdine University which she hopes would lead her to a dream stint in the LPGA.

"My immediate goal is to make a name and win at least one tournament in the NCAA," said Agojo, a gem of a find gifted with beauty and talent. "Maybe in two years, I could get a crack at the LPGA."

Laurie Gibbs, head coach of the Pepperdine women’s golf team, was so much impressed with Agojo at the World Juniors in San Diego in 2003 that she immediately offered the Filipina shotmaker a golf scholarship at one of the top-ranked colleges for women’s golf in the US.

But it took Gibbs one year to finally convince Agojo, whose local feats included the Southern Ladies Open, the Manila Ladies Open and the Philippine Ladies Open at the Manila Golf.

Agojo, however, remains unsure whether or not she would be able to defend her RP Ladies crown next year although she will make an early return to the venue inside the posh Forbes Park this November when she spearheads the RP team’s bid in the 23rd SEA Games.

"I was allowed to play in the SEA Games but I still don’t know whether the NCAA would let me go back again here in January for the RP Ladies Open," said Agojo, who will leave Aug. 16 for Malibu, California. The school starts Aug. 29 with the orientation set on Aug. 22.

Despite missing the ongoing training of the RP team for the SEAG wars, Agojo remains confident of dishing out a solid game for the country even as she picked Thailand as the team that could spoil their gold medal bid in both the individual and team competitions.

"The Thais will be our strongest rivals but I hope we will be able to cash in on our familiarity with the layout since Manila Golf is a difficult course," said Agojo.

Immediately after the SEA Games, Agojo will fly back to the US then back again here in December for the holidays.

A known daddy’s girl, Agojo has been given the liberty to go out and decide on her own at this stage to prepare her for the US jaunt, surely a new experience for the sweet, smooth-swinging teener, now 19 and full of promise.