MANILA, Philippines – A joint eighth-place finish by the ladies squad in the World Amateurs, the country’s best in over four decades, highlighted another solid season for the ICTSI golf team which also racked up over 30 victories on the local turf and abroad.
The men’s team picked up a bit after a struggling campaign in 2009 with former Hong Kong Am Open champion Dante Becierra taking three low amateur honors on the ICTSI-Philippine Golf Tour. But the ladies squad continued to anchor the team’s inspiring campaign on the international stage.
“We actually slowed down towards the end of the year,” said Bong Lopez, the man in charge of the International Container Terminal Services, Inc. golf program. “But overall, it was another solid year although there were a number of near misses which could’ve gone our way.”
Dottie Ardina, Chihiro Ikeda and Mia Piccio again carried the load for the youth-laden squad, pooling for eight individual titles and three team championships. But it was their combination in the World Am in Argentina that produced a lasting mark for RP golf that made up for their poor performance in the Asian Games where they wound up sixth.
Lopez said it was “mission accomplished,” citing his wards’ final round rebound in the World Am. “They worked hard for this.”
Hard work also produced a number of victories for members of the squad with US-based Cyna Rodriguez sparking the win run with a runaway victory in the Philippine Ladies Amateur Open at Southwoods.
Ikeda followed suit with a win in the DHL Open then went on to pocket the Singapore Am individual title while powering the Phl to the team crown in the same tournament and in the New Zealand Foursomes tilt.
Ardina won the Southern Ladies, the Karambunai Am, Aaron Baddeley Juniors and Women’s Trans-Junior titles while Piccio swept the stroke play and match play crowns in the Women’s Trans Amateur Championship in Arizona.
Andie Unson actually produced the most number of wins in the team, topping the Optimist Junior International, San Diego Masters, Accusport Junior (AJGA) and two Jungolf Interclub legs while clinching a berth in the US Women’s Amateur.
Other winners were Alex Nallos (Jungolf, Malaysia Jrs), Carl Santos-Ocampo (low amateur at PGT Mimosa and Canlubang legs), Daniella Uy (Singha Jrs and Phl Ladies Open and Singapore Jrs), Sarah Ababa (Malaysia Jrs) and Sun Choi (Indonesia Jrs and Jungolf Tat Filipinas leg).
Formed in 2005 after the Manila SEA Games, the golf stable has now a pool of 20 players, including nine ladies, who form the core of the national team. Backing up the team are ICTSI’s corporate communication chief Narlene Soriano and assistant coaches Nestor Mendoza, Cassius Casas, Carmelette Villaroman and JR Tanpinco.
Lopez vowed to better their 2010 showing in 2011 with a series of international tournaments lined up although he stressed the need for his wards to focus on physical fitness, saying; “I always believe that being physically fit gives one the edge.”