Carmona, Cavite—Defending champion Yupaporn Kawinkaporn of Thailand would certainly want no less than one good solid performance in the first round to get a little edge against the hometown bets when the Philippine Ladies Amateur Open starts Wednesday at the Manila Southwoods Golf and Country Club.

“It is better to have a lead—small or big—especially in a short 54-hole tournament like the Open. If I could hit well and score in the high 60s or at least an even-par, there’s a pretty good chance that I’ll get my second crown. If not, I will be in big trouble,” Kawinkaporn said.

There’s a reason to be worried. Yupaporn knows that the country’s top lady amateurs, led by former winners Carmelette Villaroman, Debbie de Villa, Anya Tanpinco and a host of players from five other Asian nations, will be breathing down her neck.

In fact, Yupaporn said anybody among Villaroman, de Villa, or Tanpinco could win it.

But they are not the only players to watch out for. There’s Indonesian Lydia Ivana Jaya, a three-time amateur open winner in 2007, and Mak sisters Demi and Ginger from Hong Kong.

“It’s really a strong field out there. That’s why it is crucial to jumpstart and grab an early lead,” Yupaporn added.

Tanpinco, the reigning champion of the RP amateurs played in Iloilo last year, will be a serious threat to the championship, especially after she is said to be turning professional next year.

“Mas maganda kung isang Pinay ang manalo. Once a year lang ito kaya dapat bigay-todo na kami. Medyo nakakahiya na kung foreigner ulit ang magwawagi,” Tanpinco, 23, said.

Rookies want to win too

In a scouting report by Women’s Golf Association of the Philippines (WGAP), the Open organizers revealed that four unheralded rookies—Louise Manalo, Gretchen Villacencio, Maimai Candinato and Sarah Jane Ababa—made heads turn during the practice days, putting them on the championship radar.

Manalo, a 15-year-old whose calm demeanor has impressed WGAP officials, seems to be an early favorite because she was seen hitting the ball far and straight.

“Manalo expresses less emotion and talks less. She just goes by her business, unmindful of what others might be saying. She just lets her shot-making abilities do the talking,” said WGAP tournament director Claudine Garcia.

Ababa, a member of the famous golf clan, might be the only one among the four who has a more extensive knowledge of the game. Her father, Edgar, and uncles Cesar and Gil, made waves in the local professional golf circuit in the 1970s and the 1980s.

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Carmona, Cavite—Defending champion Yupaporn Kawinkaporn of Thailand would certainly want no less than one good solid performance in the first round to get a little edge against the hometown bets when the Philippine Ladies Amateur Open starts Wednesday at the Manila Southwoods Golf and Country Club.

IT is not everyday that a not-so-average golfer gets to play with a local legend in the game (and a former champion at that). Greenside Chip got that privilege when it faced Rolly Viray one-on-one at the Legends course of the Manila Southwoods.

THE Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) will have a more active role in this year’s Palarong Pambansa, which the government sports agency brands as a major component in its revitalized grassroots program.

OUT of the thousands, few were chosen to hopefully represent the Philippine youth team in several international competitions, like the 2010 Junior Olympics.