When David Charle Serdenia first competed out of town, in far, far Mt. Malarayat, his mother Mary Ann Legaspi had to raise P12,000 to pay for everything, including bus fare for two to Lipa, Batangas, motel accommodation and tricycle rides.

The fund largely came from her clients at the Navy Golf where she works as a full-time caddie. She would hand out letters of solicitation to them and wait until it snowballed to the target amount.

And as luck would have it, Serdenia, who is turning 16 on 16 May, captured the age-group division title back then. The effort was totally worth it.

So, Legaspi would do that every time her son is campaigning. And he’s been to Taiwan and Malaysia over the past two years. Such a sweet story, right?

Well mother and son now have an even “happy problem.”

Last week, Serdenia managed to qualify for the IMG World Junior Championships in the United States.

A couple of weeks earlier, he made it to the FCG Callaway World Championship Juniors also in the States.

Now, she’s got a lot of letters to send out.

“We know that’s going to be a big amount that we need,” Legaspi told Tribune Golf in Filipino. “We still have time, God willing we can raise the money.”

The IMG Worlds will be from 6 to 11 July at Torrey Pines in San Diego, California; and the FCG is from 15 to 17 July in Palm Desert and Rancho Mirage in the same state.

Airfare could cost Legaspi P80,000. That’s if Serdenia is the only one going.

“I would love to be there with him,” Legaspi said.

“But he said every time I’m watching him play, he gets anxious. So, I don’t watch him play anymore.”

Instead, Legaspi stays off the gallery. After all, there are people, according to her, who would follow him hole by hole during tournaments.

“He has become known to these people. Most of the time people would offer us free lunch. That way we get to save our budget,” she said.

During the FCG qualifying held at Calatagan, Serdenia placed third well within the qualifying cut-off.

And last week at Luisita, he wound up fifth. Only the top four would make it to IMG, but the fourth placer Shinichi Suzuki begged off, allowing Serdenia to fill up the spot.

Parents would do everything for their kids. And that’s what Legaspi has been doing all along.

The single parent is raising four children — Serdenia is the youngest of the brood. When not in rotation for caddying, she would sell balut or kwek-kwek to make ends meet.

“I saw that Charle really loves golf. He would tag along with me every day as early as 3 a.m. and while I work, he would play and practice pitching and putting,” she said.

“We know golf is a game for rich people. But I can’t just tell him to stop. I have to support him as long as I can.”