NGAP sets up two pools for national team

MANILA, Philippines - Selection for Philippine squads that will play in three important international events this year has begun, with the National Golf Association of the Philippines effectively putting up two pools, one here and another one abroad.

A six-man committee, which includes Tommy Manotoc, NGAP chairman of golf development and the national pool, will monitor the performance of each member of the pools to determine whether they are right for national team inclusions.

Former national champion Mark Fernando, Jonel Ababa, Jessie Balasabas, Albin Engino, current champion Clyde Mondilla, Jobim Carlos, Miguel Tabuena, Peter Villaber and Dante Becierra comprise the local pool.

Judson Eustaquio, Marcel Puyat, Miko Alejandro, Carl Santos Ocampo and Jik-Jik Abdon, who are all on golf scholarships in the United States and playing for different universities, are in the foreign pool.

The committee will keep track of the players’ performances here or abroad as they gain points based on the quality of the tournaments and the roster of participants.

The local pool, however, is still open. With three major tournaments coming up – the Malaysian, the Saujana and Vietnam amateurs – homegrown players not in the pool can make it with good performances there.

Jun Arceo, the new NGAP sec-gen, directors Jun Galindez, Bong Vilchez, Pablo Soon and Caloy Coscoluella are the other members of the committee, which rid the country of its old practice of holding eliminations weeks before a tournament and seeding the national champion.

All of the players will have to earn their spots in the final lineups of teams that will be sent to the 50th Putra Cup in Malaysia, the World Amateurs in Buenos Aires, Argentina and the Asian Games in China.

“It is not only the scores that will give them berths, but also the way they carry themselves and behave on the course,” Manotoc said. “We must remember that they are not only athletes, but Philippine ambassadors to the game of golf.”

The final composition of the national team will be done after the Singapore Amateurs slated Aug. 23.