In-form Carlos ready for Asian Tour qualifier

MANILA, Philippines - Jobim Carlos hopes to cash in on his superb form as he vies for an Asian Tour card in the AT Qualifying School Final Stage firing off tomorrow at the Springfield Royal Country Club in Hua Hin, Thailand.

Carlos will be up against a crack international field slugging it out for the top 40 plus ties berths in the 72-hole championship, confident of his chances to join the likes of Miguel Tabuena, Angelo Que and Tony Lascuña in the region’s premier circuit set to kick off in Singapore on Jan. 28.

“I’m pretty excited to try out the Q-School. I’d try to be steady with my irons and putter and, hopefully, the course suits my game,” said Carlos, who wrapped up his stint in the amateur ranks with back-to-back victories, including the National Doubles and the Philippine Amateur Championship at Eagle Ridge last week.

Carlos will be joining five other Filipinos in the 155-player field in the Q-School finale at the Jack Nicklaus-designed course, including Charles Hong, Clyde Mondilla, Jay Bayron, Orlan Sumcad and Michael Bibat.

If he does get his Tour card, Carlos, the 23-year-old graduate of the University of San Francisco and former scholar of the MVP Sports Foundation, targets at least a victory on his rookie year.

“One would be enough and I think that would be a highlight.  If not, I would concentrate on the local ICTSI Philippine Golf Tour,” said Carlos.

Guiding his maiden stint in the pro ranks is swing coach Carito Villaroman, who described Carlos as just at the right age for the next stage of his career.

“The way he competed at Eagle Ridge, he’s more than ready to be a pro.  What he needs now is more exposure especially in international tournaments,” said Villaroman, a former three-time Junior World champion.