NGAP grassroots program under way

LIPA City , Philippines   â€“ More than 60 kids from different sections of society showed up last Saturday to form the first batch of beneficiaries of the National Golf Association of the Philippines’ grassroots program.

At least a hundred more have signed up for another session farther south, in Bacolod next month, as the NGAP, together with the Royal and Ancient of Scotland, have gotten this noble undertaking running in an effort to spread the sport of golf and ultimately discover worthy international talents.

“We want to start them young, and we want even the less-privileged to be able to avail the privilege of being handled by the best coaches in the land,” Gigi Montinola, the former top bank executive and NGAP director of grassroots development, said.

The first part of the program kicked off last Saturday at posh Mount Malarayat here with no less than former world junior champions Carito Villaroman and Ramon Brobio and Philippine Team swing guru Boyet Zaragosa acting as coaches.

Kids 13 and below coming from cross sections of the society are the targets of the program, which got a boost from the R&A early this year to the tune of 20,000 pounds.

Montinola then matched the R&A contribution with his own money and is also personally supervising the progress of the kids together with NGAP vice president Caloy Coscoluella.

“This should have been done years ago,” NGAP president Tommy Manotoc said. “And with the R&A and Mr. Montinola coming in, we now have the resources to make up for lost time. These kids are the future of Philippine golf.”