Miguel leads Pinoy quest in National Am

MANILA, Philippines –  With last year’s champion Jhonnel Ababa and former national champion Mhark Fernando now in the pro ranks, young Miguel Tabuena gets the chance to spearhead the country’s campaign in the WWWEx-DHL National Amateur Golf Championships unfolding Feb. 8 at Canlubang’s north course.

But the 16-year-old Asian Games silver medalist, also the low amateur in last year’s Philippine Open where he also placed fourth overall, will be up against a strong field in the event, including a bunch of foreign players out to duplicate Singaporean Quincy Quek’s thrilling playoff victory in 2009.

Quek, the former Singapore amateur champion now campaigning on the Asian Tour as a pro, outlasted Ferdie Aunzo in a grueling six-hole playoff at dusk and frustrated the pro-Aunzo gallery to rule the 72-hole tournament two years ago.

The Singaporeans are back in next week’s event with Jerome Ng, Gregory Foo, Benedict Ho and Koh Dengshan all set to foil the locals’ title drive in the event put up WWWExpress chair Rod Feliciano in his continuing effort to boost Phl amateur golf.

Feliciano, along with Cangolf head Luigi Yulo, will hit the ceremonial drive to kick off the 16th staging of the four-day championship organized and conducted by the National Golf Association of the Phils.

Meanwhile, deadline for listup ends at 5 p.m. tomorrow, according to NGAP. Fee is pegged at P2,500 for men and P2,000 for women, inclusive of a practice round. For details, contact NGAP at (02) 5179778/5577849 or fax (02) 706-5926 or e-mail at [email protected] or Cangolf office at (049) 549-1363.