The Boy Who Carried More Than Golf Clubs
Before competing at the national level, he was already in the game the hard way — working as a pulot boy and caddie, learning while also helping earn a living.
Daily TribuneBefore competing at the national level, he was already in the game the hard way — working as a pulot boy and caddie, learning while also helping earn a living.
‘FAMILY first’ is the mantra driving John Rey Oro as he continues to carve his pathway toward a career in professional golf.
Photograph courtesy of JGFP
The seventh of 14 siblings, John Rey Oro grew up in a home where thinking only about yourself was never really an option.
With so many mouths to feed and limited space and resources, he learned early that life was more about helping out than standing out. Everyone had a role and everyone had to look out for one another.
That upbringing shaped how he sees life today. His priorities are not just about personal goals or individual success. They are more grounded — family first, responsibility second and whatever he achieves for himself is always tied to what he can give back to others.
It also taught him discipline in a quiet, everyday way. Not the loud kind, but the simple habit of showing up, doing his part and making decisions with more than just himself in mind.
For John Rey, moving forward has never just meant getting ahead. It also means making sure the people behind him are not left struggling.
So when a golf scholarship in Manila came up, he was not immediately sold on it. As promising as it sounded, his first concern was not his own future but what leaving home would mean for his family. For him, stepping away for education also meant stepping away from helping put food on the table — and that was a difficult trade.
Golf has been part of his life for as long as he can remember. He started swinging a club at just five years old, growing up only steps away from the second hole of Bacolod Golf Club, known locally as Binitin.
Before competing at the national level, he was already in the game the hard way — working as a pulot boy and caddie, learning while also helping earn a living.
With support from a generous benefactor, John Rey has slowly been able to focus more on his development. His game has improved steadily, and so have his ambitions, including a long-term goal of reaching the professional tour.
He recently returned to Bacolod after a busy trip to Manila, where he competed in three tournaments and topped the inaugural JGFP College Series — another sign of steady progress despite his responsibilities at home.
His game was shaped more by necessity than instruction. Without complete or proper equipment, he learned to adapt with whatever was available. That meant getting creative on the course and trusting feel over textbook technique.
He became comfortable using mismatched clubs and unusual shots. Around the greens, he was not afraid to improvise, even using a driver for shots most players would avoid. In tight situations, he learned to escape problems rather than play perfect shots.
Over time, what others saw as unorthodox became second nature to him — built on instinct, adaptability, and the belief that there is never a perfect setup, only the next shot to solve.
The closest thing he has to a formal coach is Japan Golf Tour regular Juvic Pagunsan, who also grew up in the same neighborhood. At 11 years old, John Rey received handwritten notes from Pagunsan on how to manage his game. He still keeps them to this day as a reminder of where he started.
He also has a twin brother, John Paul, who was equally talented in golf but has since shifted focus to family life after the birth of his child.
Today, John Rey continues to move forward with everything he has learned — from home and from golf. His journey is still unfolding, shaped by responsibility, family and a quiet determination to keep