Chase on for national amateur golf crown

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Amateur Golf Championships presented by Samsung fires off today with a full roster of 136 players, including the cream of the men’s and women’s crops, vying for top honors and spots in the national pool at the Eastridge Golf Club in Binangonan, Rizal.

Unlike in past RP Amateur stagings, this year’s tournament promises to be a battle royale right in the 36-hole stroke play, which serves as part of the qualifier for spots in the RP pool from where members of the national team competing in the two prestigious international events will be selected.

The top 16 players after the stroke play will be eligible to join the first of two sets of qualifiers to select the members of the RP squad – a 144-hole tournament where the top six will slug it out for the four RP team berths in another 144-hole event.

The top finishers will represent the Philippines in the Nomura Cup on Sept. 15-18 in South Korea and in the Putra Cup on Nov. 17-20 in Thailand, according to the organizing National Golf Association of the Phils.

Tipped to contest those berths are ICTSI team mainstays Antonio Asistio, Dante Becierra, Peter Villaber, Miko Alejandro and Rufino Bayron, who won a pro tournament late last year but has struggled in the last few months here and abroad.

Jhonnel Ababa, coming off a victory in the Sabah Open recently, heads the crack roster of players from the Calatagan golf stable that includes Mark Fernando, Alvin Engino and former national team member and World Amateur veteran Jerson Balasabas.

Bayron tees off on No. 1 at 8:14 a.m. in the company of Fernando, Southwoods’ John Kier Abdon and Del Monte’s Noel Langganin while Ababa is paired with Villaber, Gabriel Atienza and Sta. Elena’s Glenn De Leon in the 8:54 a.m. flight, also on the first tee.