Faldo series under way at TAT Filipinas

MANILA, Philippines - Five slots to the Asian grand final are up for grabs in the inaugural Faldo Series Philippines Championship slated today and tomorrow at the rolling TAT Filipinas Golf Club in San Pedro, Laguna.

Former Thailand Ladies Open titlist Regina de Guzman, recently crowned as the Luzvimin Invitational winner, and Jobim Carlos head a field of 50 junior players vying for five slots to next year’s Faldo Series grand final at the Mission Hills course in Shenzhen, China.

 The top juniors in the Under-21, Under-18 and Under-16 for boys and Under-21 and Under-16 for girls will qualify as Philippine representatives to the competition among international qualifiers.

Supported by UBS, Mission Hills and The R&A as series sponsors, the event is jointly organized by TAT Filipinas and the Junior Golf Foundation of the Philippines.

Tom Philips, chief executive officer of Faldo Series Asia, planed in yesterday to supervise the competitions together with TAT Filipinas president Edna Pana, new Jungolf president Luigi Tabuena and Jungolf chairman Gerry Handog.

Teaching pro Jun Cedo will conduct a clinic at 7a.m before the 8 a.m. tee-off.

Also playing are Bino dela Paz, the come- backing Geleen Handog, Rupert Zaragosa, Angela de Villa, Irina Gabasa, Marvi Monsalve and Sarah Ababa.

Endorsed by the Asian Tour and the Asia Pacific Golf Confederation, the tourney is part of Faldo’s drive to simultaneously create access to the sport at a grassroots level.

The Philippine championship is one of 15 Faldo Series Asia tournaments in 12 different countries during 2009/2010, including four in mainland China plus one in each of Bahrain, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, The Philippines and Vietnam.