Montecillo Cup jungolf under way at Orchard

MANILA, Philippines - The best of Philippine jungolf strut their wares against an equally talented international field as action in the second Montecillo Cup junior golf championships unfolds today at the tough Palmer course of the Orchard Golf and Country Club in Dasmariñas, Cavite.

Thailand looms as the biggest threat to the local bid for team and individual honors with the 10-strong crew of Mia Legaspi, Sarah Ababa, Princess Superal, Sam Martinez, Bianca Pagdanganan, Clyde Mondilla, Gio Gandionco, Raymart Tolentino and Gelbert Gamolo seeking to deliver the goods for the host team in the main competition.

Dottie Ardina, the reigning Queen Sirikit Cup champion from the ICTSI golf stable, is also in the field as the Montecillo Cup being held in honor of Amalia “Mommy” Montecillo, the late prime mover of the jungolf movement in Asia, has adopted an Under-18 format. She is seeing action in the individual category.

Luigi Tabuena and Gerry Handog, president and chair of the organizing Junior Golf Foundation of the Philippines, respectively, and the other directors of Jungolf will be on hand to welcome the entries from Thailand, China, Guam, Singapore and Indonesia in today’s opening ceremonies at the Orchard grounds preceding the first round of action.

Invited to hit the ceremonial tee-offs are former jungolfers belonging to different generations nurtured by Mommy Montecillo. They are Montecillo’s son Dennis, business executive Augie Palisoc and former world junior champions Ramon Brobio and Carito Villaroman.

The Montecillo Cup, sanctioned by the Royal and Ancient of St. Andrews, is sponsored by ICTSI, Pancake House, Teriyaki Boy, Pancake House, Sizzlin’ Pepper, PAL, Duty Free, McDonald’s Pioneer Insurance, PacSports, B Hotel, Pisanti, Inquirer Golf and Julie’s Bakeshop.

It will also feature four age-group competitions with the Class A and Class B for 72 holes and Class C and Class D for 54 holes. JGFP, however, decided to impose handicap limits for all classes.

Among those playing are young standouts Carl Corpus, Aidric Chan, Philippe Palanca, Bernice Olivarez-Ilas, Missy Legaspi, Daniella Uy, Andre Yuchengco and Sophia Blanco.