Women's golf scraps 2020 season

MANILA, Philippines – With most clubs enforcing members-only rule as part of their safety protocols, the Women’s Golf Association of the Philippines decided to cancel its 2020 season, keeping the top golfing ladies from the country’s leading golf clubs out of the fairways for the first time in a long while.

The WGAP circuit, made up of eight golf clubs, and the highlight WGAP Cup, featuring the top 5 teams after each WGAP Circuit, have featured members of the national team who have served as anchors of each squad’s title drive in the annual course-hopping, eight-leg circuit.

But with the government still scrambling to curb the spread of the coronavirus, WGAP officials deemed it right to scrap this year’s calendar of events although the golfing body did able to stage its premier championship — the Philippine Ladies Open — ruled by Abby Arevalo at Manila Golf Club last February.

WGAP has actually lined up its eight-stage tour this year but with host clubs imposing its members-only policy as part of the government’s safety and health protocols in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, it has opted to scratch off its 2020 schedule, including sending of a team to the Queen Sirikit Cup, which incidentally has also been postponed in view of the current virus problem. 

“Majority of the clubs only allow members only and due to COVID-19, we have cancelled all local and international events this year,” said a WGAP official.

Established in 1971 to govern ladies golf, WGAP has conducted local monthly and team play tournaments among the ladies chapters of Metro Manila clubs through the years to become what is now the WGAP circuit. It also organizes the annual Dominga Capati Memorial tournament and in 1993, it put up the Luzvimin Cup in an effort to reach out to the golfing ladies in the south.