League gives young stars chance to rise

Angelo Que and Mario Siodina represent two generations of topnotch golfers. While Que is basking in his amateur prime, Siodina is already playing in the senior ranks after an illustrious career as a touring professional.

Players with a knack for hardwork in pursuit of excellence like Que and Siodina are set to become the prime beneficiaries of a no-nonsense blueprint for development being implemented by College Assurance Plan.

CAP’s major involvement in the new Philippine Professional Tour gives senior pros like Siodina a chance for further growth. A special fund has been set aside for the CAP Senior Challenge where the 50-something are playing in an event of their own.

And for a player like Siodina who wants to make it to US Senior PGA Tour someday, the timing was no less than perfect.

The vision of CAP, a group of companies in the business of ensuring education for future generation where Atty. Enrique Sobrepeña is at the helm as chair and CEO, for amateur development is even more comprehensive.

Drawing inspiration from the successes of such Filipino stars as Frankie Miñoza, Cassius Casas, Gerald Rosales in the Asian Tour and Dorothy Delasin and Jennifer Rosales, CAP now wants to encourage as many young local talents as possible to follow their footsteps.

CAP has even tied up with the Manila Southwoods Golf and Country Club for the continuous training of Que and other promising young talents like Cookie LaO, Jerome Delariarte, Raymund Sangil and Artemio Murakami with no less than veteran national team coach Bong Lopez guiding them.

They are also assured of a year-round exposure to highly-competitive events like the NGAP circuit, the PAL Interclub, Fil-Am, among others. Chances are, they will also be sent to major competitions abroad if they are to hurdle the eliminations for the Putra Cup and the Southeast Asian Games this year.

The 1-2 finish of Que and Delariarte in last year’s Philippine Amateur at Alabang is one clear sign of how a well-entrenched support network can produce good results. As a team, CAP-Southwoods had won the Fil-Am and placed second in the recent PAL Interclub.

The CAP example is also seen to bring about a contagion effect to a local golf scene waiting for a wider support base which will bring all fronts of local golf — juniors, amateurs, regular pros and seniors — to a new dimension.

If other companies can join CAP in this new thrust for development, an amateur like Que can be assured of a bright future and a legend like Siodina can, out of a glorious past, secure his life for tomorrow.