Top 100 Cebuano: Ben Arda

Ben Arda

(13 June 1929 – 20 December 2006)

CEBU, Philippines —  What he lacked in height he made up for his big fighting heart in the fairways.

Because of his small stature standing only at 5-foot-5, he was nicknamed Bantam Ben and Toy Tiger.

As a pro golfer, Ben Arda was one of the top parbusters in Asia in the 1960s and 1970s.

He eventually made history as the first Filipino to qualify for the prestigious Augusta Masters and The Open Championship in Great Britain.

Arda, who once served as a caddie at the Cebu Country Club where he first learned the ropes of golf, dominated countless tournament in the Asian Golf Circuit, now the Asian Tour’s Order of Merit.

He won the Philippine Open three times, and topped the money list in 1970.

One of his most memorable victories was when Arda edged American stars Billy Casper and Gene Littler during the Manila Golf & Country Club leg of Shell’s Wonderful World of Golf series in 1969.

He ruled the Japan Golf Tour four times and saw action in the World Cup 16 times where he recorded a best finish of 2nd place in 1977 alongside Rudy Lavares.

Arda was inducted into the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Hall of Fame on January 9, 2004. Two years later, he died due to lingering illness at the age of 77. - EBV