FRONT and center of the Philippine campaign are (from left) Jacob Cajita, Reese Ng, Alethea Gaccion and Bobe Salahog. They help the country sweep the boys’ and girls’ team competitions in the 2023 Singha Thailand Junior Worlds. Not in photo are Class A players Miko Granada and Lia Duque. | PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF NGAP
The Philippines' version of "golf revenge" is still raging. Even from the junior level.
On the weekend that saw Filipino pros like Bianca Pagdanganan and Dottie Ardina posting impressive performances, the Philippine delegation to the 2023 Singha Thailand Junior World Championship came away with a double team sweep in the Class A divisions.
The boys' and girls' squads ruled the team competitions, thanks to the clutch performances of six Filipinos who spearheaded the 15-strong contingent at Royal Huan Hin Golf Club.
In the tough competitions where the strongest young players in the world saw action, most of the 15-strong Philippine delegation placed significantly in their respective categories.
Jacob Cajita and Miko Granada wound up tied for second, while Bobe Salahog finished solo fifth in the Boys Class A whose team competitions the country claimed.
Alethea Gaccion grabbed third, while Reese Ng and Lia Duque captured sixth and 13th places as the Nationals also annexed the Girls Class A team trophy.
Tashanah Balangauan was fifth in Girls Class B, while David Teves was eighth in the boys' side.
Also positioning well for the country were Ralph Rian Batican (seventh) and Vito Sarines (13th) in Boys Class C; Mona Sarines (eighth) and Lisa Sarines (11th) in Girls Class C; and Race Manhit (T6) in the Boys Class D.
Rafaella Batican was tied for seventh in Girls Class D, while Mico Deltheo was 11th in Boys Class D.
Pagdanganan took second place in the Wistron Ladies Open in the LPGA of Taiwan, while Ardina was T47 in the LPGA's Maybank in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in the same weekend.
Some of the junior players will next see action in the TGA Singha Golf Ranking Tournament at the Grand Prix Golf Resort.
They were sent by both the Junior Golf Foundation of the Philippines and the National Golf Association of the Philippines.
The country's junior golf governing body, which endorsed nine of the athletes, has vowed to give away P50,000 worth of golf equipment and accessories to the champions. Second and third placers will receive P30,000 and P20,000 worth of golf equipment, respectively.
