Pro-bound Carlos eyes repeat as PH Am begins

ALL SET to turn pro next month, Jobim Carlos tries to cap a sterling amateur career with a title repeat in the Philippine Amateur stroke play championship starting today at the Aoki layout of Eagle Ridge in Gen. Trias in Cavite.

Enjoying fine form after leading his partnership with Iñigo Raymundo to a nail-biting win in the recent NGAP National Doubles, Carlos is tipped to rule this tournament before jumping to the next level next month.

“I just want to win as much as I can before I turn pro,” Carlos said after yesterday’s official practice round. “The key will be on how one plays in the winds. It will be very windy this week.”

Carlos graduated from University of San Francisco last year and will likely make his final appearance as an amateur for Canlubang in the PAL Interclub next month.

Also fancied to figure prominently is many-time winner Rupert Zaragosa, whom Carlos nipped for the title last year, as well as upcoming talents Jelbert Gamolo, Weiwei Gao, Aidric Chan, Ira Alido, Gabriel Manotoc, Raymart Tolentino and two-time Junior World champion Carlo Villaroman.

The women’s tournament also gets going with Filipino-Japanese Yuka Saso and Harmie Constantino taking up the bulk of the local challenge in the absence of the stars of the solid ICTSI stable led by Princess Superal.

The top 50 in the men’s side after 36 holes and the top 30 in women’s play will advance to the final two rounds of the annual tournament hosted by Eagle Ridge and sponsored by MVP Sports Foundation, Smart, PLDT and Metro Pacific Investment Corp.

Among the foreign entries in men’s play are Tom Ferguson, Leon Philip D’Souza, Sim Seung Jae, Ko Myeong-hun, Jun Jhon, Lee Geon, Lim Su-min, Kang Dong-guk, Tom Kim, Toshinori Iwasaki and Christian Boshoff.