Singson leads aspirants in Tarlac SEA Games qualifiers

MANILA, Philippines — The country's top amateurs and rising stars brace for a grueling campaign coming off an extended break due to pandemic when the SEA Games national golf team eliminations are held at the Luisita Golf and Country Club in Tarlac next week.

The tough two-part elims will kick off on February 25 to 27 at the well-kept Tarlac layout, where the likes of Bianca Pagdanganan, Lois Kaye Go and Abby Arevalo dominated the regional field to sweep the individual (Pagdanganan) and team gold medals in the 2019 edition of the biennial meet.

But with the power-hitting Pagdanganan now in the LPGA Tour and Arevalo chasing her own pro dream in other US circuits, the Philippines will have a lot of building up and toughening up to do to put up a truly formidable squad in the coming SEA Games in Hanoi, Vietnam.

The staging of the 31st edition of the regional games was originally set late last year but was moved to May this year due to the global health crisis, particularly the rising COVID-19 case numbers in Vietnam.

Vietnam hosted the SEAG last in 2003 when Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City shared responsibility and won the overall championship. 

The Philippines landed fourth behind Thailand and Indonesia.

Golf in the coming SEA Games will be played at the Heron Lake golf course in Vinh Phuc province, northwest of Hanoi.

Meanwhile, Mafy Singson, fellow ICTSI-backed bets Arnie Taguines and Eagle Ace Superal and the other SEAG aspirants gear up for a punishing start in the 8-round SEAG elims with 36 holes slated in each of the first day of the two weekend qualifiers.

Venue of the second stage is still being determined with two outright spots in the men’s side and one in the women’s up for grabs.

The SEA Games eliminations will also mark the first competitive play of the country’s top amateurs and rising stars, who were actually set to see action for the first after a two-year hiatus due to pandemic in the national amateur stroke play championship at Manila Southwoods last month. 

It was, however, called off on the eve of the event due to the spike of COVID cases, forcing the government to raise the Alert Level to 3 in the NCR Plus.

But with Metro Manila now at low risk for COVID transmission, Singson, winner of four of the last five low amateur honors in last year’s Ladies Philippine Golf Tour, and fellow LPGT amateur titlists Taguiens and Laurea Duque, and possibly youngsters Monique Arroyo, Annyka Cayabyab, Celine Abalos, Mikhaella Constantino and Anya Cedo along with Mikha Fortuna, Nicole Abelar, Tomi Arejola and Laia Barro can now focus on the task at hand — making it to the national team.