Depleted golf team ready to face odds

Short in manpower but long in talent, the Philippines hopes to draw solid games from Juvic Pagunsan and Jay Bayron early and the best from Marvin Dumandan and Michael Bibat when it opens its campaign in the men’s golf competitions of the 23rd Southeast Asian Games at The Country Club in Laguna today.

Dumandan, a veteran of the Spirit Cup, and Bibat, who won the Singapore Amateur Open crown last year, will be the men to watch for in the RP squad somewhat depleted by the absence of former national champion Artemio Murakami, who opted to try his luck in Japan after hurdling the third of the four-stage pro qualifiers.

"Murakami is indeed a big loss to the team," said national team coach Bong Lopez. "But I’m confident Dumandan and Bibat will be able to fill up the gap."

That would be known beginning today when the RP golfers, raring to show their wares and their familiarity with the course, play the Indonesians and the Singaporeans in the first round of the four-day championship at the daunting, wind-raked layout.

The women’s event will be played Dec. 2-4, also at The Country Club, with Jayvie Agojo, Frances Bondad and Anya Tanpinco to carry the cudgels for the team in the 54-hole competition among six nations.

Pagunsan, winner of the SEAG individual gold in the 2001 Games in Kuala Lumpur, is fancied to put the hosts’ bid in motion against Choo Tze Huang of Singapore, the reigning Singapore Amateur Open champion, and Andik Mailudin of Indonesia in 8:10 a.m. flight. Bayron plays in the next flight followed by Dumandan and Bibat, all eager to showcase their talent and skills honed up by a series of international exposures and no-nonsense training here.

But focus will also be on the first batch as title contenders Thailand and Malaysia slug it out with unfancied Vietnam starting at 7:30 a.m. Thailand, which beat the Philippines and Malaysia for fourth place in the recent Nomura Cup, is bannered by Anujit Hirunratanarkorn.

Backing up the hefty teener are Pornpong Phatlum, Nakarintra Ratanakul and Ekalak Waisayakul.

But Lopez said he is more wary of the Malaysians, whose campaign is headed by No. 1 player Ben Leong, who graduated from Bradenton Academy in Bradenton, Florida and played extensively as a junior player, earning third-team Rolex Junior All-America honors.

Leong, 19, also won the Southeast Asia Amateur Championship in 2003 and finished in the top 10 in the Junior World Golf Championship and the AJGA Rolex Tournament of Champions.

"Thailand also suffered when top player Chinarat Phadungsil opted to turn pro," said Lopez. "With Ben Leong in the fold, I think Malaysia will be a strong contender."

With Leong, Anujit and Huang in the fold, Pagunsan faces one of the strongest challenges in his chase for a second straight SEAG gold. But the 27-year-old ace Filipino shotmaker, winner of five titles here and abroad this year, remains confident of pulling it through before joining the pro ranks.

"I’ve waited and prepared long and hard for this. If we’re talking about condition at this stage, I can say I’m ready," said Pagunsan in Filipino.