Go seeks Phl Am Open repeat

MANILA, Philippines - LJ Go hopes to flash the form he showed in dominating the field last year as he goes for back-to-back in the Philippine Amateur Open Golf Championship (stroke play) which fires off Tuesday at Eagle Ridge’s Aoki Course in Gen. Trias, Cavite.

Go ran away with an 11-shot romp over Jobim Carlos and Jerome Ng of Singapore despite a closing 76 at Wack Wack’s East course.

But the spearhead of the Cebu squad in PAL Interclub will be hard-pressed to duplicate his feat with the crack field teeming with local aces and a number of foreign entries, guaranteeing a slambang action in the four-day championship serving as part of the PLDT Group National Amateur Golf Tour and sponsored by the MVP Sports Foundation and B Hotel in Alabang.

Carlos, for one, will be coming into the event oozing with confidence after topping the Philippine Golf Tour Qualifying School recently where he bested a host of pros and fellow amateur standouts, also at Aoki layout.

Marc Ong and Edgar Oh, meanwhile, will lead Singapore’s title drive in the country’s premier championship that also drew the participation of Malaysian Bryan Teoh Wiyang, Yuma Onho of Japan, Thailand’s Paphangkorn Itthiratchai and Puripark Apiratanarungsi and Koreans Park Min Ung and Koh Myeong Hun of Riviera.

National Junior champion Rupert Zaragosa, who with JP De Claro romped off with the National Doubles title last month, is also in the fold, tipped to contend for the crown along with Jed Dy, Aidric Jose Chan, Gen Nagai, Aristeo Mata, Raymund Gonzales, Ricar Candinato, Kristoffer Arevalo and Wei Wei Gao.

Justin Quiban, who led Manila Southwoods lopsided triumph in the recent Fil-Am Invitational Golf Championship, has also confirmed his participation in the event organized and conducted by the National Golf Association of the Philippines.

Focus will also be on the girls’ side, which will be making its return after a one-year absence to give way to the staging of the Philippine Ladies Open with reigning US Girls Junior champion Princess Superal heading a tough international cast.

Nur Durriyah Damian of Malaysia, Thai Manuschaya Zeemakorin and Koreans Hwang Min Jeong, Koh Eun Ah, Song Min Jeong, Lee Hyeong Hyun, Oh Chae Yu, Kim Yeo Reum and Kim So Un will be out to foil Superal’s bid in the event that also lured former Asian Youth Games gold medalist Miya Legaspi, Cebu ace Lois Kaye Go and Junior World champion (15-17) Daniella Uy.

Superal’s ICTSI teammates are also seeing action, including Pauline del Rosario, Yuka Saso, Sofia Chabon, Sam Martirez and Abegail Arevalo along with Wack Wack’s Felicia Medalla, Sam Bruce and Aguinaldo’s Laia Barro and Harmie Constantino.