Zaragosa, Arevalo head crack Junior Am field

MANILA, Philippines — Rupert  Zaragosa and Kristopher Arevalo, two of the finest amateurs in the land, will be up against tough foreign opposition starting Tuesday when the Philippine Junior Am championship presented by the MVP Sports Foundation tees off at Sherwood Hills.

Several low handicappers from South Korea and an entry from Indonesia have so far confirmed participation in the 72-hole event that is part of the PLDT Amateur Golf Tour, with Zaragosa and Arevalo looming as the brightest local hopes.

Kim Tae-woo, playing out of Royal Northwoods in Bulacan, and 15-year-old Jin Gyu-kim, who trains at Mimosa, are the 3-handicap spearheads of the foreign charge.

Arevalo won the Junior World 13-14 crown in San Diego last year and will be chasing the first national title of his very promising career.

He hasn’t come close in the past, but the big improvement in his game certainly makes him one of the favorites.

Zaragosa, meanwhile, will be shooting to win this event for the second time in four years.

The pint-sized wonder from Canlubang also has local knowledge going for him, having practiced over the ravine-laden layout for most of the past year while playing for the national team.

Sherwood Hills is the official course of the organizing National Golf Association of the Philippines where all the members of the national squad are welcome to practice.

The girls division of the tournament backed by Pancake House, Golf Depot and Pacsports has also drawn a talented field with all the age-groupers from the crack ICTSI stable led by Mikhaela Fortuna and Abegail Arevalo seeing action.