PH junior amateur blasts off

The country’s best age groupers tee it up starting today in the 2013 National Golf Association of the Philippines’ Junior Amateur Closed championship presented by the MVP Sports Foundation at Sherwood Hills in Trece Martirez, Cavite.

Rupert Zaragosa and Gabriel Manotoc in the boys  division and Princess Superal and Pauleen del Rosario in the girls side are the heavy picks to prevail in the 17-under division of the tournament forming part of the PLDT Amateur Golf Tour and backed by Pancake House, Nike, Golf Depot and Pacsports.

Zaragosa and Manotoc are out to reprise their duel in the PH Am Open last month where both disqualified themselves in the final round for a rule infraction while Superal tries to stamp her class as the heir apparent in her rank after the graduation of Dottie Ardina to the pro ranks.

Regan de Guzman, who will play for the Philippines in the Putra Cup later this month, will also see action in a special division for 17-21-year-olds. Also on tap is a 13-under division for both  girls and boys.

Basti Lorenzo, AR Ramos and the long-hitting Miggy Yee are expected to crowd Zaragosa and Manotoc for top honors.

Andres Saldana, the lefty member of the national pool, is seeing action in the special boys division together with Jonar Austria and Justin Quiban, the new member of the Alabang squad in this year’s PAL Interclub.