Golfers eye breakthrough in Santi Cup

MANILA, Philippines - Dottie Ardina and Chihiro Ikeda hope to dish out the game expected of them as the Philippines takes another crack at the Santi Cup, one of the three titles to be disputed in the Putra Cup, which gets going tomorrow at the Clearwater Bay Golf and Country Club in Hong Kong.

Foiled in the first two editions of the event by the Thais, the Filipina golfers go all out this time with a strong roster that includes the two other spearheads of the ICTSI golf program – Andrea Unson and Jayvie Agojo.

The Phl ladies lost to the Thais by 11 strokes last year but are primed up for this week’s battle with ICTSI coach Bong Lopez expecting an explosive start for his star-studded crew.

“With their form and experience, I think we have a pretty good chance this year,” said Lopez.

Ikeda, the reigning Philippine Ladies Open champion, is coming off a victory in the Thailand Open and Selangor Open recently while Ardina, winner of this year’s Queen Sirikit individual crown, also ruled the recent San Diego Masters and made the finals of the US Girls Open.

Unson, on the other hand, is the reigning Philippine Amateur champion, while Agojo is the former Philippine Ladies Open champion who also won the New Zealand foursomes with Sarah Ababa.

The men’s team, composed of Zanie Boy Gialon, Art Arbole, John Kier Abdon and LJ Go, also tries to end Thailand’s domination of the Putra Cup, also known as the Southeast Asian Amateur Golf Team Championship. The Phl has not won the title since 1996 in Myanmar.

But focus will be on the junior squad, which sets out for a second straight championship in the Lion City Cup.

Led by Jobim Caros, the Phl held off Thailand’s final round charge to win by four in Malaysia last year in a victory that made up for the men’s and ladies squads’ runner-up finishes in their respective events.

Reigning national champion Rupert Zaragoza will spearhead the squad this time in lieu of Carlos with support to come from former national titlist and last year’s members Clyde Mondilla and Andres Saldana and Gio Gandiongco.

The delegation, headed by Tommy Manotoc and coaches Carito Villaroman (men’s) and Boyet Zaragoza (juniors) left yesterday, hoping to get at least two practice rounds at the tough layout.

The Phl contingent’s stint is sanctioned by the National Golf Association of the Phils. NGAP president Leandro Mendoza expressed confidence of each team’s title chances in the four-to-play, three-to-count format event spread over four days.