Golf is making its much-awaited entry in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) as it debuts as a demonstration sport in Season 88 from 11 to 14 May at Tagaytay Midlands in Tagaytay City.

UAAP Season 88 president Fr. Rodel Cansancio, UAAP executive director Atty. Rebo Saguisag and Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc. (PGTI) executive director Colo Ventosa signed a three-year partnership in staging the sport where Filipinos have a good potential to excel.

Also in attendance during the press launch on Monday at The Country Club in Canlubang, Laguna were representative of eight competing schools as well as Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas executive director Erika Dy, Philippine Sports Commission chairman Patrick “Pato” Gregorio, who relentlessly pushed for the inclusion of golf in the calendar of the country’s most prestigious athletic league.

“Today marks the formal contract signing of the partnership between the UAAP and PGTI for the organization of the UAAP golf tournament. This partnership is expected to yield substantial benefits for the UAAP and the student-athletes,” Cansancio, who represents University of Santo Tomas in the UAAP board of managing directors, said.

He added that the initiative was rooted in a broader national sports development framework.

“The initiative to offer golf in the UAAP was recommended by PSC chairman Pato Gregorio, consistent with the Philippine Sports Development Program. It directly supports the mandate to offer Olympic-aligned sports to develop world-class athletes. Our goal here is continuity: to build a clear pathway from grassroots participation, through collegiate competition, and onward to the world stage.”

Cansancio also noted that golf’s inclusion in the UAAP formalizes an existing collegiate tradition.

“Among the Olympic-aligned sports recommended — including gymnastics, boxing, and shooting — the UAAP has chosen to begin with golf. This is a natural step because an intercollegiate golf tournament is already actively participated in by UP, Ateneo, La Salle, and UST. We are formalizing and elevating an existing collegiate tradition into the official UAAP program.”

For PGTI, the partnership reinforces its long-term mission of developing the sport across all levels.

“In 2004, when we launched this initiative, our goal was to grow the sport of golf. We started with a 50-golf tour, which is our professional tour. We then launched the Ladies PGT, followed by junior golf,” Ventosa said.

“After establishing the junior level, we felt the need for a collegiate platform — a bridge between junior and professional golf — and that is how the Intercollegiate Tour came about, in partnership with the UAAP.”

“We are very excited because this provides a wonderful venue for collegiate players to showcase their skills and potentially progress to professional golf or even Olympic sports. We aim to give them a platform to compete in environments similar to international tournaments, and we look forward to the continuation of this partnership in the coming years.”