SEA Games: PH golfers shooting for golden sweep

By Waylon Galvez

With familiarity on the golf course, the national team hopes to score a clean sweep on all the four gold medals at stake in golf competition in the 30th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games here.

Philippine Team members Lois Kaye Go, left, and Bianca Pagdanganan with NGAP secretary-general Bones Floro during the Santi Cup of the Southeast Asia Golf Team Championships in Myanmar. (File Photo)

National Golf Association of the Philippines secretary-general Bones Flor said yesterday that members of the national team would rely on experience playing the par-72 course of the Luisita Golf and Country Clun in Tarlac.

“Yes they’re very familiar playing at Luisita,” said Floro as SEA Games action is scheduled Dec. 4 to 8. “That is one of the things we’ll try to take advantage in the SEA Games.”

Members of the national team will be arriving this week from the United States where they are playing and studying just in time for the SEA Games, which will formally start on Saturday.

The men’s team is composed of Luis Castro of the University of North Carolina, Aidric Chan of San Jose State University, Carl Corpus of the Arizona University and Sean Ramos, the only high school player based here.

For the women’s team, Bianca Pagdanganan of Arizona University and Lois Kaye Go of University of South Carolina will banner the squad together with Abby Arevalo of SJSU Spartans.

Pagdanganan and Go are members of the gold medal winning Philippine Team during the Asian games last year alongside individual women’s champion Yuka Saso, who begged off due to a conflict in schedule with the finals of the Japan Golf Tour qualifying tournament.

Floro said that while the women’s team is a solid bet to capture the SEA Games gold, it’s a different story for the men’s squad.

“Our women’s team is very strong right now, but in the men’s division, Singapore and Thailand are strong teams but our national team will give it their best to win the gold medal,” said Floro.

In the previous SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur, the Philippines won a single bronze courtesy of Go.

Tags: #SEAGames2019, 30th Southeast Asian Games, Abby Arevalo, Aidric Co, Bianca Pagdanganan, Carl Corpus, Golf, Lois Kay Go, Luis Castro, Luisita Golf and Country Club, Philippines, Sean Ramos