INQUIRER Sports

MANILA, Philippines?Former Philippine Ladies Open champion Debbie de Villa is on her way to challenging the best college players in the United States.

From Bradenton, Florida where she just finished high school at the David Leadbetter Academy, de Villa is changing base to Lubbock, Texas this year.

De Villa was recently added to the roster of the Texas Tech and is tipped to give the Lady Raiders? bid in the US NCAA a big boost.

Debbie will take up pre-law course at Texas Tech, prepare herself for a possible stint in the LPGA and pursue a law profession.

?I am so excited about Debbie joining this great class of 2009,? said Texas Tech coach Stacey Totman. ?She has played at the highest level of amateur golf both internationally and here in the United States.?

After winning the 2006 RP Ladies Open, de Villa played for the national team that participated in the World Am in South Africa and placed third in the 2007 Optimist International.

De Villa also placed second in the 2006 Malaysian Amateur Open and qualified for the 2006 USGA Women?s Amateur. She has accumulated seven top-10 finishes on the Future Collegians World Junior Tour throughout her career.

?Debbie is a great person and a hard worker,? added Totman. ?I know that she is going to represent Texas Tech in the best way possible.?