Golf patron reaffirms support to amateurs

MANILA, Philippines - Port magnate Ricky Razon, whose passion for golf paved the way for the revival of the local pro circuit through the Philippine Golf Tour, has reaffirmed his commitment to help amateur golf through the ICTSI-The Country Club program under national coach Bong Lopez.

The International Container Terminal Services, Inc. chairman and CEO has also extended his support to the Canlubang golf team, under RP team mentor Tommy Manotoc, which boasts of talented players in reigning national champion Mhark Fernando, Cangolf Am titlist Jhonnel Ababa and former national team mainstay Jerson Balasabas.

The two amateur teams, however, have separate programs under their respective coaches.

Just recently, Razon, also through the ICTSI, took the initiative to sponsor the junior golf program starting this year with the ICTSI-Jungolf Circuit under Luigi Tabuena, thus covering his support to the sport from the junior ranks to the amateurs to the pros, who are now enjoying a full-calendar of events for the second straight year.

“I always believe Filipino golfers have the talent and skills to make it to the world stage,” said Razon. “It’s just a matter of giving them the support, providing them international exposure and motivating them. Now, it’s all up to them to excel.”

At the same time, Razon has directed Lopez to continue recruiting players from the countryside to sustain the continued transition of talents following the exodus of some of the team’s mainstays to the pro ranks.

Put up in 2005 during the country’s hosting of the SEA Games, the ICTSI-TCC squad swept the gold medals in men’s division in the biennial meet behind Pagunsan, Bayron, Dumandan and Michael Bibat with Pagunsan winning the individual gold.

The team also scored a number of victories abroad the past four years. The latest of this was the gold medal sweep of the ladies team of Chihiro Ikeda, newly crown Southern Ladies champion Ardina and Mia Piccio in the Laos SEAG where Ikeda also nipped Thailand’s top player Yupaporn Kawinpakorn in a playoff to clinch the individual gold medal.

Although the men’s form dipped last year, Lopez said his wards hope to reassert themselves this year, starting with this week’s WWW Express-DHL Amateur Open in Canlubang and the PAL interclub in Bacolod later this month on a team built around Antonio Asistio II, Rufino Bayron, Dante Becierra and Peter Villaber.