ICTSI golf squads tab 48-win season

Jayvie Agojo’s victory in the Hong Kong Ladies Amateur Open, along with Sunshine Baraquiel and Lovelynn Guioguio’s romps abroad highlighted an impressive season for the ICTSI golf squad that nearly hit the 50-win mark in the year that’s about to end.

Agojo, a former Philippine Ladies Open champion, posted a three-shot win over Chinese-Taipei’s Peng Chieh in Hong Kong’s premier amateur tournament and went on to complete a rare double by claiming the Mid-Amateur crown, heralding her comeback from motherhood to big-time golf.

She also teamed up with Baraquiel and Chihiro Ikeda to annex the team crown in the Pacific Northwest Golf Association in Wyoming, with Baraqui-iel bagging low medal honors.

Guioguio, on the other hand, won the Sarawak Open plum to add to her victories in the DHL Open and the Samsung Open.

“We had a breakthrough year for Jayvie, Sunshine and Lovelynn,” said ICTSI coach Bong Lopez. “All won their first international events as members of the team. Overall, it was another good year for the team.”

But there were also near-misses like the team’s one-stroke loss to Thailand in the Santi Cup in Hong Kong and the gold-medal shutout in the last Southeast ASIAN Games, where Ikeda yielded the individual gold she won in 2009 in Laos and her triumvirate with Ardina and Unson failed to defend the team title.

Still, the ICTSI squad racked up 48 victories this year, nine more than its 2010 collection with Ikeda leading the way with seven. She topped the Philippine Ladies Open, Thailand Open, Johor Am Open, PNGA Stroke Play (US), Japan Am Stroke Play, Suntory Open (Low Am) and Southern Ladies.

Ardina bagged six titles, including the prestigious Queen Sirikit individual title, the Malaysian Juniors, the San Diego Jr. Masters, Thailand Ladies Am, the UBC Junior and Cangolf Open, while Agojo also ruled the Southern Ladies and the New Zealand Foursomes (with Sarah Ababa).

Zanie Boy Gialon also had a big season as he ruled the amateur side of the ICTSI Philippine Golf Tour before wresting the Samsung Am crown in October.

Backing up the squad are ICTSI’s corporate communication chief Narlene Soriano and assistant coaches Nestor Mendoza, Cassius Casas, Carmelette Villaroman and JR Tanpinco.