Title: Boon to golf

Last week’s Aboitiz Invitational 2012 was another chance to watch Filipino professional golfers in action.

They may not be as high profile as those competing for honors in the PGA Championship, which was also held last week, but these guys as also good.

Elmer Salvador, who won the title via a six-stroke margin, made a group of Cebuanos very happy – his backers from Red Golf.

Jovi Neri was most excited as he told us how they found ways to solve Eming’s problems from his clubs to his foot and others.

I have known Eming since 1997 when he was still an amateur from Davao. The reason why I met him was that he rode with the media group on our way to Baguio City for the Philippine Open at the old Camp John Hay Golf Club.

After that tournament, the old course was redesigned and the once infamous “Cardiac Hill” is now all but part of the memory of the old layout.

I am also very happy to see Eming win in Cebu and how he has been doing very well in the Philippine Golf Tour.

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When I was only starting to write about golf in the early 1990s, there were professional tournaments played in different parts of the country and Cebu was always one of its stops.

As the years passed, the events dwindled until it reached a point when there were no more professional events being played in Cebu.

It was a low point for professional golf in our country and many of the pros were forced to hang out at the driving range and wait for students to teach the game.

All that is now part of the history of golf in this country as the PGT has successfully turned things around.

Proof of the change for the better is seeing the young players turn pro. In last week’s Aboitiz Invitational, Cebu’s only professional event, there were two teenaged pros – 17-year-old Miguel Tabuena and 18-year-old Clyde Mondilla.

Of course we also had our teenage golfers playing as amateurs – Gio Gandionco, LJ Go, and Gen Nagai.

Soon, we would also be seeing these young stars join the pro ranks.

Professional-level competition is the best way to bring out the best of our athletes.

This is the reason why many want to play basketball because of the money they can earn from the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).

Recently, the United Football League (UFL) was also born giving our football players something to look forward to after playing college ball.

I received email about a professional volleyball league, which is now on the planning stage. This is the way to go if we want to be among the best in the world of sports.

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MILESTONES: Congratulations to the town of Liloan and Mayor Duke Frasco for winning the title in last weekend’s Pasigarbo sa Sugbo. 

Belated birthday greetings go to Angela Calina-Vaz, who turned a year older last Monday.

The same goes to yesterday’s celebrants like my high school classmate Karl Fortich, Ruquette Gurrea-Navarette, Roxan Frias, Frederick Ygnacio, Chai Quezon, and to my mistahs Dale Cuaycong and Lt. Col. Ignatius Patrimonio.

Today’s greetings go to Bobby Lim, Joey Enario, Tining Martinez, and The Freeman’s Divine Sanchez-Ngujo.

Congratulations also to Chief Supt. Carmelo Valmoria, who was recently appointed director of PRO-13 or the CARAGA Region.

More power to all of you!