With the conclusion of the Paris Olympics, the success of our athletes has put on the spotlight specific sports where we can excel.
Sports with weight categories like boxing and weightlifting; sports like gymnastics where smaller athletes traditionally perform better, are where we need to focus. Hopefully, our recent medals highlight this reality and focus and funds shift to these sports.
A surprise for us during the recent Olympics was women’s golf. Bianca Pagdanganan narrowly missed a podium finish, with Dottie Ardina not too far behind.
Aside from Bianca and Dottie, Yuka Saso’s two US Opens in the past few years and Rianne Malixi’s rare double (US Girls’ Amateur and US Women’s Amateur) are evidence that our lady golfers can compete and win in the highest levels.
While golf remains quite exclusive in the Philippines, this is a sport where we are already at par with the best in the world, at least in the women’s game.
This week, I was fortunate to be able to have a quick exchange with WGAP (Women’s Golf Association of the Philippines) president Cielo Regino-Fregil. Cielo is an avid and accomplished club player who I’ve known for over a decade. She, together with her husband Jere Fregil are friends, and are two of the nicest and most fun golfers to be around. My quick chat with Cielo revolved around WGAP and local women’s golf. Here is our exchange:
DD: While local women golfers have had some success abroad over the decades, the current generation seems to have taken it to another level. What can you attribute this success to?
CF: Perhaps the current generation has more exposure to both local and international tournaments. You have more children joining local tournaments and the likes of US Kids tournaments. Although we also know that competing can get expensive. Often, parents of promising players really make sacrifices just so their kids can compete in these tournaments. Competition builds character and perhaps the exposure improves their confidence levels and eventually the kids indicate a willingness to pursue the higher levels.
DD: You mentioned that even with a tiny pool of lady golfers, our success rate seems to be better than other countries with better programs and more players. Is there something you see in Filipina golfers that may contribute to their high success rate?
CF: Filipinas in general are known to be hardworking and optimistic. Being a third world country, we are still at a disadvantage when it comes to resources and support, but we still manage to look beyond these setbacks, and work hard to make things happen. We always hope, with our sacrifices, it all will work out eventually.
DD: In the men’s game, it seems that our junior boys excel, too, but only to a certain point. On the women’s side, however, we’ve already gotten amateur and professional majors. What can you attribute this phenomenon to?
CF: There’s more competition for limited slots in the men’s division I guess, than for women. I’m also guessing that distance and brute force is an advantage in the men’s game therefore body build would be a factor.
For the ladies, however, you would have less playing field so the chances of getting to the world stage for all would be equal. Ladies perhaps rely more on the accuracy of their shots and their short game and putting. I still think those with most exposure to high level tournaments are at an advantage. That’s why for young lady players the aim is to get into a good US school on golf scholarship so they can hone their skills thru training, practice and competition.
DD: The recent Paris Olympics brought so much pride and attention to Philippine golf. Unfortunately, issues with the uniforms and gear (or lack thereof) dampened the mood. As WGAP president, how would you have handled this differently? And since our Olympians were women golfers, did WGAP have any part or say in the preparations? Would you have preferred to have WGAP handle women golfers competing abroad?
CF: NGAP (National Golf Association of the Philippines) still has jurisdiction over players representing the Philippines. It is in their mandate. WGAP promotes golf by providing venues for our lady golfers to compete and to increase the interest in the sport for all ages. Of course, we will offer our support to NGAP in case they need support from the WGAP.
DD: Looking at the future of Philippine golf, particularly women’s golf, what do you foresee? What/who can help improve women’s golf in general?
CF: I’m hoping we can encourage more girls to learn the sport at an early age.
We still hold our Philippine Ladies Open annually for amateurs and send our lady golfers annually to the prestigious Queen Sirikit tournament. I’m hoping the Philippines will eventually win this tournament in the future.
With regards to growing the game, both government and private can help improve the sport. In the meantime, the best bet is for the private sector to help with the promotion of the sport. I’m always grateful for the businesses that support our players.
DD: Any final words from WGAP?
CF: Perhaps, I just want to encourage parents to take their kids to any kind of sport, not just golf, because it builds discipline, builds confidence, helps kids understand teamwork and learn the ability to follow rules.