National junior golf ranking system launched

MANILA, Philippines - A new direction for the country’s junior players is in motion as the Junior Golf Foundation of the Philippines (JGFP) announced yesterday a busy tournament season for 2010 and the long-awaited launching of a national ranking system.

Getting the much-needed sponsorship of the International Container Terminal Services, Inc., the JGFP under the new leadership of its chairman Gerry Handog and its president Luigi Tabuena bared a full slate of weekly tournaments starting on Jan. 24 and 31 at TAT Filipinas and Riviera.

Succeeding weekly tournaments will be held on various golf courses throughout the country including stages in the Visayas and Northern Luzon.

“This is the start of a new beginning for Philippine junior golf,” said Tabuena, who stressed the need for a year-round training and competition schedule to enhance the competitive skills of the country’s jungolfers.

Participation in international tournaments in Asia, Europe and the US will be dangled as incentives although the JGFP maintains that strict qualifying procedures shall be implemented starting this year.

One of the major changes for this year is the introduction of the national ranking system that will determine the best junior golfers in each age group. Points will also be awarded to all participants of the JGFP tournaments and sanctioned events. More importantly, the ranking system will be used to determine national representatives to different international junior golf events.

The special division for 18-21 year olds is also being revived to ensure the continuity of the program and prepare them for the amateur ranks.

“All these new schemes are envisioned to increase interest in junior golf,” said Handog.

The JGFP is also building its support base from the corporate sector and so far, the effort has been fruitful with companies like McDonald, Smart, Coca-Cola, Golf Depot, Philippine Airlines and Pioneer Insurance already pledging to come in.

To register, call up JGFP office at 8939599, 09178841436 or email [email protected] look for Hazel Novero. You may also log in at http://www.jgfp.net. Deadline is on Jan. 22 at 12 p.m.

Meanwhile, the Philippine team of Eric Gallardo, Nico Monsalve, Gus and Aries Mata (Hernan Gallardo team captain and jungolf vice president), is going to Malaysia for the Asian Junior Golf Championship.