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Anya
Tanpinco, one of the country’s top lady amateurs today,
is a little disappointed but maintained she isn’t angry
over the decision of the Women’s Golf Association of the
Philippines (WGAP) not to include her on the national
team to the Asia-Pacific Invitational Golf Championship,
better known as the Queen Sirikit Cup, in Japan next
month.
“It
would have been a perfect opportunity to showcase my
talents and help the Philippines’ campaign in the Queen
Sirikit Cup. Maybe the WGAP group has other plans for
the team and I respect that,” Tanpinco told the
Greenside Chip Tuesday.
The WGAP
has named Cyna Rodriguez, Chihiro Ikeda and Regina de
Guzman to the RP squad.
Despite
her exclusion, Tanpinco is happy that Rodriguez, who won
two collegiate golf tournaments in the US in the past
three weeks, and Ikeda, winner of the Philippine Amateur
Ladies Open, are headed for Japan.
“I’m
proud of Rodriguez and Ikeda. Both are training hard to
become champion golfers. They would be great additions
to the RP team,” Tanpinco said.
Still,
many fans believe Tanpinco should have been on the team
because of her superb performances in the past six
months. The 24-year-old Bacolod looker won the
Philippine Amateur Golf Championship in
Iloilo
and the Southern Ladies Open in Bacolod. She also placed
third in the 13th DHL WWWExpress National Amateur
Championships at Cangolf.
“I thank
all those who believe in what I am capable of doing. As
I have said, the WGAP is in a better position to decide
on the matter. For now, I’ll just play my game and,
hopefully, win more championships here and abroad,”
added Tanpinco.
RP
Amateurs in
Bacolod
City?
THE
National Golf Association of the Philippines (NGAP) had
initial talks with the Wack Wack Golf and Country Club
as to the hosting of the 2008 Philippine Amateur Golf
Championships slated from May 19 to 23.
But the
NGAP has not made any formal announcement if it’s really
Wack Wack because of a request from the Bacolod Golf and
Country Club that it hosts the tournament in honor of
its hometown hero, Luis “Golem” Silverio, who passed
away on April 5.
Silverio
won the Philippine Open,
Asia’s oldest
national championship, 12 times as an amateur. The
multititled player and designer of several courses in
the Philippines never turned pro.
“Bacolod
City’s request has its valid merits, especially if it is
honoring Silverio, the best amateur golfer the country
has ever produced. But it is still up to the Wack Wack
board to come up with the best decision,” said NGAP’s
newly elected director Pablo Soon.
Ikeda
loses ground further
THE
Philippines’ Chihiro Ikeda fired a five-over-par 74 to
further lose ground in the Australian Women’s Amateur
golf tournament at the Gleneagle Golf Club in Adelaide,
South Australia.
With her
first round 76, Ikeda slipped from 22nd to 29th with a
two-day total of 155. She was 16 strokes behind the
commanding 139 posted by Aussie Stephanie Na after a 70
on Tuesday.
“I am
trying too hard with my shots. I need to settle down
and play my best in the last 36 holes,” Ikeda told the
BusinessMirror.
Na of
the Royal Adelaide Golf Club submitted the best score in
the tough par-74 seaside layout. She led
West Australia’s Kristie Smith (72-144) by five strokes.
Victoria’s
Claire Choi, Australia’s No. 1 amateur, was one of the
high-profile casualties on Day Two. Choi, who currently
leads the inaugural Karrie Webb Series, stumbled with a
four-over 78 and fell into a tie for 10th place. |
