Tobias Benito Pono Tiongko may just be eight years old but his maturity in and out of the golf course is beyond his years.

Tiongko, champion of the ICTSI JPGT Visayas at Negros Occidental, helped his coaches with mentoring young aspiring golfers.

He acts as assistant to his father Jojo and coach Roden Malabanan with their junior program at Cebu Country Club.

Nicknamed “Boti” (pronounced as bowtee), Tiongko was born in New Jersey in the United States. But his hometown now is Cebu City.

That is where his love of golf began to blossom. “I trusted myself and I tried very hard to win,” Tiongko said.

Last 1 to 4 July, he won the JPGT leg and earned qualification to the ICTSI JPGT national finals at The Country Club this October.

The past two years he was 8-and-under club champion at CCC, and bagged third place in the ICTSI JPGT at Bacolod Golf and Country Club last June.

His father Jojo said that at a young age, Tobias displays “consistent drive accuracy, strong short game and calmness.”

Tobias is presently enrolled at Homeschool Global for him to focus better on training.