Filipino amateur golfer wins prestigious Baiduri Masters in Brunei

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Brunei Darussalam—A Filipino amateur golfer bagged this year’s championship plum of the Baiduri Masters, besting 544 other players, including the Bruneian three-time champion Seruji Hj Setia.

The 21-year old Carlos Miguel “Migo” Ochoa, the youngest among the three children of Philippine Ambassador to Brunei Nestor Ochoa, carved for himself a niche as the first-ever Filipino to win the championship in the 16-year history of the Baiduri Masters.

Ochoa, who was scheduled to fly back to Manila on Monday (July 11), received during the awarding rites held at the Orchid Garden Hotel on Sunday evening the championship trophy, and the coveted Baiduri Masters green jacket.

The annual golf tourney is recognized as the biggest and most prestigious golf tournament here, next to the Asian Tour-sanctioned Brunei Open.

Held at the Royal Brunei Airlines Golf Club in Berakas, Ochoa was not in the top 12 during the elimination round held last July 1 to 3. But he never lost his composure and gathered his strength to climb up to the top 12 during the next round.

Ochoa was number four out of the top 12 players who advanced to the finals after last Saturday’s play. Most successful amateur Bruneian golfer, Seruji, led the fray with a total score of 70.

“I was two birdies down and I needed two birdies to catch up with three players leading the pack. But they all scored a bogey in the last three holes and I won by the last stroke,” Ochoa told the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

A graduate of Bachelor of Sports Science at the University of Santo Tomas, Ochoa came here to join the golf tourney.

“Since there’s no tournament in our country, Dad asked me to come here and play in the Baiduri Masters,” he said.

He claimed it was a tough match-up against the local players who have been considered veterans in playing golf.

During the championship round, only two players, including himself, were in their 20s. The rest were veterans.

Ochoa started playing golf at the age of 11. He stopped when he was in college to focus on his schooling. Then, a year ago, right after graduation, he was motivated by his father to go back and be active once again in golf.

“He’s the one who keeps motivating me,” Migo said of his dad.

“I’m planning to turn pro after two more years. Before that, I want to play for the country in regional and international amateur golf tournaments,” he said.

The Philippine envoy here was so proud of the accomplishment of his son.

Besting his dad just in the first week of playing golf about a decade ago, Migo went a long way to capture his first ever prestigious amateur title.

Three luxury cars – Porsche Cayman S, BMW523i and Land Rover Freelander – and two cash prizes of $BND20,000 were up for grabs for any player who can hit a hole-in-one during the tournament. This year, no one achieved such a feat. In the history of Baiduri Masters, only one player managed to strike a hole-in-one in 2009 and went home driving a BMW730Li.

The Baiduri Masters is an event aimed at raising funds for local charities. It is organized by the Baiduri Bank Group, with several local business firms as partners.