MANILA, Philippines - For all its big contributions to the development of junior golf talents, the Riviera Sports Club in Silang, Cavite deserves a name better than a tournament venue. It is a home.
On Feb. 26, the Junior Golf Foundation of the Philippines accords the RSC that honor with the unveiling of a special marker making it the Home of JGFP Classes E and F in fitting ceremonies to be graced by top junior golfers led by Asian Games silver medalist Miguel Tabuena.
“The Riviera Sports Club is a home where junior golfers build their big dreams and in putting the marker, everybody will be reminded of that,” said JGFP president Luigi Tabuena, who is expected to be joined by the rest of the JGFP board of directors in the momentous occasion.
Riviera vice chairman Liza Lorenzana has been invited to represent the RSC.
For more than a decade now, the Riviera Sports Club has generously provided its nine-hole pitch and putt facilities to accommodate the various year-round tournaments for the youngest age-group of the JGFP, the Class E (ages 7 and 8) and Class F (6 and under).
Through their training at RSC, Tabuena and the likes of Cyna Marie Rodriguez, Dottie Ardina, Wolen Superal, Jobim Carlos, Miggy Yee, AR Ramos, Rupert Zaragosa, Princess Superal, Carlos Philippe Palanca and Mia Legaspi have produced countless victories abroad that showed the strength of the local junior golf program handled by the JGFP.
There is no better proof to the JGFP program than Tabuena’s capture of the silver medal in the Guangzhou Asian Games last December and then his 21st place showing in the Asian Tour qualifying school that makes him eligible to be a pro anytime this year.
“He (Miguel) has become a role model for the junior golfers and we want him to take the lead in promoting the RSC as a breeding ground of champions,” said Jack Imperial, JGFP executive director who has also extended an invitation to those who have moved on to the older age-groups.
Imperial willl also conduct a rules training for jungolfers after the unveiling ceremony at 8 a.m. preceding a competition among the current E and F players.