Gao to Riviera

Cebu’s junior golfer WeiWei Gao, 16, is up against junior golf’s elites

CEBU’s junior golfer WeiWei Gao is all set for the Philippine Amateur Open Golf Championship, which tees off on Thursday at the Riviera Golf and Country Club Couples course in Silang, Cavite.

The 16-year-old Gao, who recently won the Cebu Country Club Junior Open Championships, will be among the 89-player men’s roster, which includes former champion Rupert Zaragosa and formidable stars Dan Cruz, Ira Alido, Aidric Chan, Gab Manotoc, Kristoffer Arevalo, Jed Dy and Carlo Villaroman.

The national team member Gao, who’s bound for University of Virginia, is looking to make a mark on the tournament before going to the US for college studies.

“My goal in the tournament is to finish under par after four rounds. I want to win this event before I go to college,” the junior ace golfer of Alta Vista Golf and Country Club (AVGCC) Gao told Sun.Star Cebu yesterday.

Last year’s men’s champion Jobim Carlos now plays pro golf. The other contenders this year are Yuto Katsuragawa, Matthew Abalos, Luis Castro, JP De Claro, Jelbert Gamoo, Nik Gatmaytan, Luigi Guerrero, Riggs Illescas, Gabriel Macalaguim, Jolo Magcalayo, Ryan and Ivan Monsalve, Don Petil, Peter Po, Adrian Romero and Raymart Tolentino.

Harmie Constantino, on the other hand, seeks a repeat of her feat last year as she banners the women’s field, which include Yuka Saso, Hwang Min Jeong of Korea, Malaysian Durriyah Damian Nur, Thailand’s Anannarukaen Pajaree and Korean Yang Ju Young.

Others vying for the championship are Nicole Abelar, Diana Araneta, Sam Bruce, Alex Etter, Weifang Gao, Louise Go, Katie Kim, Missy Legaspi, Jona Magcalayo, Riko Nagai, Bianca Pagdanganan and Kristine Torralba.

Eagle Ridge was actually set to host the annual event again but non-stop rain the last few days have rendered the four courses soggy with some holes unplayable, forcing the National Golf Association of the Philippines (NGAP) to move it to Riviera.