Phl Am Jr Open draws foreign cast

MANILA, Philippines - Malaysia’s top two junior talents and a number of Korean expats have confirmed participation in the 2012 Philippine Amateur Junior (Open) Championships which fires off Wednesday at Cebu Country Club in Cebu City.

But focus will still be on the local bets, particularly Gio Gandionco and Lloyd Go, who powered the host club to the PAL Interclub championship in Davao last March and are expected to flash their familiarity with the layout.

Andres Saldana, another talented player due for a major championship, and the comebacking Rupert Zaragosa are also in the fold, making it a star-studded cast in the 54-hole tournament serving as part of the Globe-NGAP (National Golf Association of the Phils.) circuit.

“It’s going to be a very interesting tournament because of the presence of foreign entries,“ said NGAP president Tommy Manotoc.

Cebu Country Club, which also regularly hosts a pro event, is one of the newest members of the NGAP.

Saldana is in his last year of junior eligibility and is itching for a breakthrough. He is coming off a runner-up finish to Jik-Jik Abdon in the recent Phl Am (Closed) Championship.

Focus will also be on Zaragosa, who is seeing action in his first full event following an accident, forcing him to miss defending his Phl Am Match Play title recently.