A SLEW of Cebu-based golf standouts seek to kickstart their year with a bang as they compete against a crack field, toughened up by a slew of foreign players in the Philippines Amateur Open Golf Championship on Thursday at Riviera’s Couples course in Silang, Cavite.
Weiwei Gao, the Alta Vista Golf and Country Club ace, is hoping to improve on his showing from last year, where he ended up tied for fifth place with a total score of 301.
However, competition is expected to be tough as he contends against the likes of former champion Rupert Zaragosa and rising stars Dan Cruz, Ira Alido, Aidric Chan, Gab Manotoc, Kristoffer Arevalo, Jed Dy and Carlo Villaroman. In all, 89 players are rostered in the men’s division with young and veteran campaigners from Malaysia, Taiwan, Ireland, South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Guam, United Kingdom, Australia, Thailand and the US.
On the distaff side, Weifang Gao, Weiwei’s younger sister, will vie for the women’s crown currently being held by Harmie Constantino. Joining her from Cebu are Louis Kaye Go, the younger sister of Seton Hall star LJ Go and Riko Nagai, the younger sibling of another Seton Hall standout, Gen Nagai, who finished in second place in the men’s division of this very same tournament last year.
Constantino ran away with an eight-stroke romp over Korean Lee Ji Hyeon last year.