CEBU’s junior golf standout Weiwei Gao has made the four-man golf team that will represent the country in the 28th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games on June 5 to 16 in Singapore.
The 15-year-old jungolf ace of Alta Vista Golf and Country Club (AVGCC) is the lone golfer from Cebu and the first from AVGCC to compete in the SEA Games.
Gao earned the slot after a superb performance in the 2015 SEA Games qualifiers held by the National Golf Association of the Philippines last March 7 to 8 at the Mt. Malarayat Golf and Country Club and on March 19 to 22 at the Eagle Ridge Golf & Country Club.
Gao finished the qualifying tournament at second, firing 599 over eight days for an average of 73. Gao totaled 438 on his six best rounds, four shots behind the champion Rupert Zaragoza III of Manila.
Gao and Zaragoza III will be joined by Luzon golfers Ancieto Mandanas and Dan Emilio Cruz.
Mandanas had 445 total on his best six rounds with an average of two-over-par 74.1, while Cruz fired 447 and had an average of 74.5 in the qualifying round.
AVGCC general manager Nimrod Quiñones said that Gao has been in the club’s junior golf program since he was six years old.
“We are very proud of Weiwei (Gao) and his achievements. He is one proof that with a proper junior program, we can contribute players for international competitions and hopefully, be one of the future pros,” said Quiñones.
He added that the parents of Gao have been very supportive and credited the tournaments they joined here and abroad as a factor in his improvement.
Gao played in the Philippine Junior Amateur Open Golf Championships set on April 14-17 at the Sherwood Hills Golf Club in Cavite.
He was scheduled to compete with some of the country’s top players in the amateur ranks like Zaragoza III, Justin Quiban, Aidric Chan, Kristoffer Arevalo, Dan Cruz, Jelbert Gamolo, Lanz Uy, and Ryan Monsalve.
According to Quinoñes, the Philippines is one of the top countries in the golf competition in the SEA Games and has won gold medals in team and individual events several times.
Source: Sun.Star Cebu
Image: fullpointcebu.com
