Pinoy bets take final crack at jungolf glory

SAN DIEGO, California – Forty- five Filipino kids begin their quest for the big trophy that can well define their respective junior careers as the 47th Callaway Junior World championships fires off Tuesday with an international field of 1,200 coming from 50 countries playing at 11 different public and private golf courses.

The stakes are high especially for those playing their final year in the Junior World, including Rupert Zaragosa and Princess Superal, two of country’s best juniors who are seasoned enough to turn themselves into championship contenders this week at the two tough courses of Torrey Pines, a regular PGA Tour venue.

Zaragosa and Superal, both 17, got busy collecting local titles in the first half of the year and will be deciding on their career paths at the end of the competition which has steadily produced quite a number of Filipino champions, the latest of which were Pauline del Rosario and Kristoffer Arevalo who completed a masterful sweep of the 13-14 years division last year.

Del Rosario, a teammate of Superal at Team ICTSI, and Arevalo will be joining Zaragosa and Superal in the 15-17 years play and are expected to do just as well despite competing against rivals one or two years their senior.

There are other probable winners but delegation head Luigi Tabuena, president of the Junior Golf Foundation of the Philippines, said that the country has had surprise hits in the past and anyone among his 45 can become just that.

“The kids came here very prepared I think but with so many players entered all age levels, you won’t know your chances until you’ve seen the scores after the second round. There are just so many kids playing for one trophy per age-group here,” he said.

The players to watch in one of the biggest foreign delegations here are Wei Wei Gao and Yuka Saso in the 13-14 years categories at Morgan Resort and Country Club of Rancho Bernardo, Josh Jorge and Sofia Chabon in 11-12 years at Sycuan Resort-Oak Glen and Rancho Bernardo Inn and Annyka Cayabyab and former Junior World winner Jed Dy in the 9-10 years bracket at the Welk Resort-Fountain and Lomas Santa Fe executive courses.

Pineda and del Rosario were both winners in last week’s Future Champions of Golf International championship, also in San Diego.

Frances Lia Duque and Reese Allyson Ng only have nine other kids in the girls 6 under years at Colina Park to contend with and either of them can also deliver a gold for Team Philippines. 

The Philippine entries:  

15-17 years: Boys (Torrey Pines North) Kristoffer Arevalo, Rupert Zaragosa, Raymart Tolentino, Dan Cruz, Jelbert Gamolo; Girls (Torrey Pines South) Princess Mary Superal, Daniella Uy, Miya Legaspi, Chanelle Avaricio, Sam Martirez, Abby Arevalo, Rachita Vasandani Pauline del Rosario 

13-14 years: Boys (Morgan Run Resort) Aidric Chan, Wei Wei Gao, Ira Alido, Ryan Monsalve, Carlo Villaroman; Girls (Country Club of Rancho Bernardo) Mikha Fortuna, Harmie Nicole Constantino, Yuka Saso, Ashia Nocum

11-12 years: Boys (Sycuan Resort-Oak Glen) Josh Jorge, Carl Jano Corpus, Scott Patrique Reyes, Wei Yu Gao; Girls (Rancho Bernardo Inn) Bernice Ilas, Junia Louise Gabasa, Missy Legaspi, Laia Simone Barro, Sofia Chabon

9-10 years: Boys (Welk Resort-Fountain) Jed Dy, Sean Dominique Granada, Sean Jean Ramos, Jose Miguel Castaneda; Girls (Lomas Santa Fe executive) Annyka Chanel Cayabyab, Sunshine Burberry Zhang

7-8 years: Boys (Oaks-North) Sebastian Arenas, Zachary Castro, Santino Pineda 

6 and under (Colina Park) Boys- Miko Granada, Rafael Ilas, Joshua Cole Cruz; Girls-Reese Ng