WINNERS ALL. The winners of the 1st Fil-Am Junior Golf Invitational Tournament at Camp John Hay and Baguio Country Club golf courses pose with CJH golf general manager and Fil-Am co-chair Tim Allen. Also in photo are (from left to right) Aenzo Andrei Sulaik (Am C), Rafael Antonio Aoyong (Fil A), Samantha Dizon (Fil C), Allen, over-all champion and Fil B winner Ma. Rafaela Singson, Zhan Pocholo Medina (Am A) and Alexander Rajah Crisostomo (Am C). (Photo courtesy of Pigeon Lobien/ PNA)
BAGUIO CITY -- While they could be the country’s future in golf, they also got a valuable lesson during the two-day First Fil-Am Junior Golf Invitational Tournament that ended on Tuesday — stewards of the environment.
“One of the thrusts of the Fil-Am Golf Foundation is environment protection, that is why we give so much for the Busol Watershed, its protection from encroachment,” said Fil-Am JunGolf co-chair Anthony de Leon, general manager of the Baguio Country Club (BCC), one of the hosts of the tournament.
Busol is one of the watersheds of Baguio and one of its major water sources.
The Fil-Am Golf which is annually held late November and early December donates for its (watershed) fencing to protect it from further human incursion.
But tree-planting can be done outside Busol, as a re-greening activity for Baguio.
“This is something unique. I never get to see a tree-planting activity in any of the tournaments I joined in. I enjoyed it so much,” teen golfer Arnie Pauline Taguines said on the sidelines of the awarding ceremony.
Taguines wound up second in the Fil B category. She planted a pine tree sapling.
“I just love planting and this is one good component of the tournament,” said Fil B winner and over-all champion Ma. Rafaela Singson. Singson did not know what she planted, but it turned out to be a Norfolk tree, one of its kind is the famous Baguio Christmas tree at the bottom of Session Road.
“Twenty years from now when they come back here, they get to visit their tree with, maybe, their kid,” said Fil-Am golf co-chair Tim Allen, general manager of the Camp John Hay Golf Course.
Some 53 golfers aged 8-17 turned environmentalists on Monday as they planted tree saplings — which included Benguet pine tree, Norfolk and cypress — at the two courses or at least two each.
“These kids will get to take care of their trees,” added de Leon.
Fil-Am is the oldest and biggest amateur golf tournament in the world, annually held in Baguio city.
Allen said it is just a start for the Fil-Am golf tournament as they hope to see it grow next year and it becoming one of the premiere JunGolf event.
The Fil-Am golf is the top amateur golf tournament for men with more than 1,400 players who have seen two weeks of action.
“The Fil-Am started very small (in 1949) and now it is one of the biggest amateur golf tournaments in the world. We expect much the same with our Fil-Am JunGolf,” Allen said.
Kids playing at par with adult counterparts
Singson turned the two courses — BCC and CJH — her very own as the 15-year-old top female prospect fired an even par 69 and five over 66 at both courses for 54 and 49 Molave points for a 103 total to win the Fil B group and over-all title of the inaugural tournament for kids of the Fil-Am golf.
Singson fired two birdies but hobbled with five bogeys and a double bogey at the 17th for her solid 49 to back her five-birdie powered even par on Monday.
“It was a challenging experience and the two courses are so different,” said Singson, who had three bogey and another double bogey during the first day.
But the day’s best score went to teammate Taguines who fired the course best four under 65 for 50 points for an even 100 to snatch second place from first round co-leader Faustina Laurea Duque who limped home with a 43, a 13-over 74, for a 93 total.
The fourth member of the Philippine Ladies JunGolf team, Samantha Dizon went home with the Fil C crown after a 45 to go with her opening round of 53 for 98 points. The four will be leaving for San Diego, California on Friday for at least six tournament for junior golf.
They are expected to see action in the Future Champions Golf (FCG) International Tour at Sycuan, San Diego on July 2-6; the July 8-12 IMG Junior World Championship at the world-famous Torrey Pines also in San Diego and the San Diego Amateur on July13-14, all in California.
These are the same tournaments that former top Filipino JunGolf player and La Trinidad, Benguet-born Luigi Paolo Wong, who last week won the Bridgestone Tournament of Champions at the Grand Cypress in Orlando, Florida will compete in.
Tyler Phoenix Zamuco took second place in Fil C with an 80 (46-34), while Melchor Carlos Rabanes II, son of the Baguio City legal officer and namesake, was third with a 68 (42-26).
Aenzo Andrei Sulaik took the Am C top honors with a 91 on rounds of 51 and 40, more than double the production of runner-up Israel Bantiles (45) and Lance Ang was third. Rafael Antonio Aoyong took the Fil A title with 80 points, with Anthony Garcia II and Yu Seongbin as first and second runners-up, respectively.
Zhan Pocholo Medina took Am A top honors with a 74, while Charles Limcaco and Lance Christian Sab-it took the second and third place trophies after firing a similar 66. But Limcaco took the higher finish after firing 36 at the BCC compared to the 32 of Sab-it.
Alexander Rajah Crisostomo was the run-away winner in Am B after making 73.
A far second was Sebastian Pastor Saycon with 30, while Zyrah Florianne de Leon took third place with her 26. (PNA)
