Manotoc elected NGAP head, vows to boost golf development

MANILA, Philippines - Sportsman Tommy Manotoc, the man at the helm of the country’s youth golf program, was voted president of the National Golf Association of the Phils. yesterday and immediately vowed to come up with year-round quality tournaments to further boost golf development and pursue unification among clubs and the NGAP.

“We will continue promoting golf development by putting up quality tournaments throughout the country,” said Manotoc, of Canlubang Golf and Country Club under whose guidance emerged the likes of now pros Mhark Fernando, Jhonnel Ababa and Jerson Balasabas and rising stars Rupert Saragoza and Jobim Carlos, among others.

Like in the 2010 polls which he topped with 40 votes, Manotoc got 46, the same votes garnered by Calatagan Golf Club’s Rod Feliciano while Alabang Country Club’s Caloy Coscolluela Jr. drew 43 votes from 18 of the 27 member clubs during the NGAP’s council meeting and biennial elections at the Manila Yacht Club.

He takes over from former Secretary and two-time NGAP president Leandro Mendoza. Manotoc and the new board will serve till 2014.

Feliciano retained his post as chairman of the NGAP while Coscoluella is the new vice president and Jun Galindez, also of Alabang, the new secretary-general. Cangolf’s Abe Rosal is the new treasurer while Pueblo de Oro’s Alice Ll. Andrada was elected auditor.

Wack Wack’s Philip Ella Juico heads the board of directors which includes Armed Forces GC’s (formerly Aguinaldo) Gen. Bonifacio de Castro, Sherwood Hills’ Raymond Bunquin, Eastridge’s Erwin Roland Temeña and Baguio Country Club’s Federico Agcaoili.

Manotoc immediately formed an executive committee composed of Rosales, Galindez, Coscolluela, Bunquin, Temeña and De Castro, which will draw up and oversee the NGAP’s programs and day-to-day affairs.

“It will be a strong working committee and we will be meeting on a regular basis,” said Manotoc, a former coach of the SEA Games national men’s team.

He also stressed the need to get the other clubs back to the NGAP fold to realize a truly one Phl golf following the Unified National Handicapping System forged by the outgoing NGAP with the Federation of Golf Clubs recently.

“It’s really good that premier clubs have started to come back,” said Manotoc, citing Sherwood while adding that Apo has also promised to re-join the country’s amateur golf body.

Also in his list of priorities will be the formation of the national teams with a series of top-notch international competitions slated this year, including the Putra Cup, the Nomura Cup and the World Amateurs.

The WWW-Express DHL Amateur Golf Championship at Cangolf on March 27-30 will be Manotoc’s first tournament as NGAP head with the event serving as the second leg of the NGAP-Globe Amateur Golf Circuit which he helped seal with telecommunications giant Globe Telecom.

“We have unbelievable donors in golf and we hope to encourage more sponsors to help to sustain our program,” said Manotoc, a former PBA grand slam coach.