NGAP goes full swing, vows more regional tourneys

MANILA, Philippines - Inspired by the success of the revival of the Visayas and Mindanao regional tournaments, the National Golf Association of the Phils. yesterday vowed to put up more competitions next year to further expand its base of talents, particularly in the youth side.

The NGAP also said it would continue to make representations with various member golf clubs with regard to their program of having these (clubs) allow the junior players to play on designated days.  

“This will give the junior golfers the opportunity to play and test various courses which will help them in international play,” said NGAP sec-gen Jun Arceo.

Tommy Manotoc, NGAP’s head for golf development, added “the NGAP is very close to striking a deal with a very prominent golf club regarding this program.”

In a recent board meeting, NGAP president Leandro Mendoza said four new tournaments were conducted by the NGAP for the first half of the year, including the Visayas and Mindanao regional championships at the Marapara and Del Monte golf clubs, respectively.

“We are looking forward to holding even more tournaments in 2012,” said Mendoza.

The golf body also stressed the need to lure the various clubs back to its fold to pave the way for the staging of more regional tournaments.

Six clubs – Capitol Hills and Chevron Batangas Terminal (formerly Caltex) in Luzon, the Victorias and Binitin (Bacolod) in the Visayas, and Camp Evangelista and Zamboanga in Mindanao – have already returned to the NGAP.

Arceo said the new club members from both Visayas and Mindanao will all the more boost the NGAP’s program of holding more tournaments in these regions.  

“While 2011 marks the revival of the regional championships in Visayas and Mindanao, plans are now being drawn to conduct multiple regional tournaments in 2012,” said Arceo.

“This is a great opportunity to discover talented golfers who cannot afford to compete in Manila,” Arceo said.  

He added that golfers from NGAP member clubs are given special rates for all NGAP-sanctioned and organized tournaments.

Meanwhile, the NGAP expressed its appreciation to the Philippine Sports Commission for granting the golf body a special fund to be used for its developmental pool program.  

Arceo said that the NGAP is finalizing the junior roster where the players’ performances will be evaluated on a regular basis.

The NGAP also succeeded, with help from Wack Wack and ICTSI, in bringing the Philippine Open back to the Asian Tour calendar after a two-year absence with American Berry Henson besting local ace Jay Bayron for the crown.

The NGAP also staged the Philippine Amateur (Closed) Championship and the National Junior (Closed) Championship both ruled by Junior World champion Ruperto Zaragoza at Wack Wack and Alabang, respectively.