Exciting battle expected as Philippine Amateur Open unwraps

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Amateur Open Golf Championship gets going at Riviera’s Langer course today with a promise of an explosive start from one of the strongest casts ever assembled in the country’s premier championship in years.

Bianca Pagdanganan and Lois Kaye Go, members of the country’s gold medal winning team in last year’s Asian Games, stand at the forefront of the locals’ bid to end the foreign domination of the event, which drew a slew of aces from Korea, Singapore, the US, Ireland, Malaysia, Thailand, Japan, Guam and Korea.

The Koreans swept the titles last year and are poised to duplicate now pro Kim Joo Hyung and Hwang Min-Jeong feats on a crack team led by Jang Ji Ho, Jang Sung Hun, Kim Min Jun, Ha Tae Won and Kim Jong Ook in the men’s side and Kim Heeji, Kim Seo Yun and Lee Yeonseo in the ladies division.

But the Pinays are out to reclaim the crown with Pagdanganan bracing for an early clash with Thai ace Atthaya Thitikul and Singapore’s Callista Chen at 7:50 a.m. on No. 10 just behind the group of Go, who is paired with The Country Club mainstay Mikha Fortuna and Inez Ng, also of Singapore.

For one, Thitikul, the youngest player to win a pro tournament in the Ladies European Thailand Championship in 2017 at 14, is out to get back at Pagdanganan after missing out a podium finish in the Asiad where she was one of the fancied bets following her victory in the inaugural Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific crown in Singapore.

But the Koreans, led by last year’s runner-up Heeji, are also expected to come out strong on the hazard-laden course they call home, guaranteeing a fiery start in the 72-hole championship sponsored by the MVP Sports Foundation and serving as the kickoff leg of this year’s PLDT National Amateur Golf Tour.

Fierce competition is also seen in the men’s side of the event organized and conducted by the National Golf Association of the Philippines with Aidric Chan leading the hosts’ charge along with Carl Corpus, Weiwei Gao, Josh Jorge, Peter Po, Ryan Monsalve, Kristoffer Arevalo, Miguel Ilas and Jed Dy, who with Pagdanganan are coming off a big win in the National Doubles last weekend.

Also on tap is the Special Division for boys and girls’ 12 years old and below as part of NGAP’s continuing talent-search. Leading the boys’ cast are Santino Pineda, Vince Tiamsic and Zack Villaroman.