COVID-19 hampers Pinoy golfers’ Olympic Qualifying drive
MANILA, Philippines — With tournaments suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic, the three Filipino golfers’ quest for spots in this year’s Tokyo Olympics suffered a minor setback three months before the cut-off date.
2018 Asian Games gold medalist Yuka Saso and former LPGA Tour campaigner Dottie Ardina, who stood at No. 42 and 44, respectively, at the start of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Women’s Golf Rankings last July, have dropped to Nos. 50 and 52 before qualifying tournaments were halted due to COVID-19.
The Japan Ladies PGA Tour and Symetra Tour, where Saso and Ardina are scheduled to compete to boost their current rankings, have been put on hold in an indefinite break due to inability to travel to and onward from host countries and restrictions from local governments on gatherings, particularly sporting events.
Qualifying for golf in the Olympics is based on the sport’s world ranking with the Top 60, both in men’s and women’s, making it to the centerpiece event.
The top 15 in both sides gain automatic berths, including four from a given country, with the remaining spots being disputed by the top-ranked players from countries that don’t already have golfers qualified. Each country can only have two players.
The men’s and women’s qualifying periods will end on June 22 and 29, 2020, respectively, but which could be extended following the indefinite suspension of tournaments worldwide.
The men’s tournament is set July 30 to Aug. 2 while women’s play is slated Aug. 5-8, both at the Kasumigaseki Country Club in Saitama.
Also clinging on at No. 60 in the men’s qualifying is Miguel Tabuena, the lone Pinoy golfer to qualify in the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro.
A number of international sports federations have asked the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for permission to extend their Olympic qualification period after a number of events were affected by the coronavirus outbreak.
The IOC has assured the Games will push through as scheduled on July 24 to Aug. 9. But the fate of the quadrennial meet will however be decided by the IOC, the Japanese organizers and the World Health Organization (WHO) with the final decision probably won’t come until May – no matter what the IOC says now.
Four Pinoys have so far gained berths in the Olympics, led by world champion Carlos Yulo of gymnastics, EJ Obiena of pole vault and boxers Eumir Marcial and Irish Magno.
Officials are targeting 38 Pinoys to compete in Tokyo with athletics, swimming, men’s basketball 3x3, judo, skateboarding, weightlifting, taekwondo, cycling, rowing, table tennis, kayak and karate tipped to produce winners in their respective Olympic qualifying tournaments.
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