De La Salle University may sport the Green-and-White, but the sport played on the green itself does not get as much attention as it should. Despite the global icon status of the likes of Tiger Woods, or the prestige that Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer have, golf remains a generally unheard of sport, especially to the typical Lasallian.
It may be due to the difficulty of the sport or perhaps its stereotype as a “rich man’s game”, but amidst all that, the DLSU golf team deserves recognition for being a powerful force among local universities in what is dubbed as the “Sport of the Gentleman”.
Premiere golf team
Not many people are aware of the remarkable three-peat championship conquest that the DLSU golf team won in the Philippine InterCollegiate Golf Championships. The competition, fondly considered as the UAAP of Philippine golf, is where the team has dominated over the past few years. This year, the team is gunning for their fourth consecutive championship, a feat that will increase their total haul to six first place finishes.
Led by head coach Jun Cedo and team manager Ferdie Atendido, the team is comprised of the cream of the crop, with players coming from high schools all over the country. The team has perennially made a strong case as the premiere college golf team of the Philippines. Some of these players have donned the national colors overseas, representing the Philippines in various international golf competitions, a testament to their caliber of talent and level of experience both individually and as a team. Prominent alumni such as Charles Hong and Joey Huerva are now making names for themselves as some of the best professional golfers in the country.
Lack of support
Despite their success, the golf team is not recognized as part of the varsity program of DLSU. “Recognized kami as a club lang, but we [still] win championships for the school,” co-captain Eric Gallardo (IV, AB-POM) shares. Established in 2004 by the De La Salle Alumni Association (DLSAA), the club was organized to house the growing interest of the sport for Lasallians. The alumni, together with TMS shipping, family members and close friends are the main supporters of the team and they provide the team with financial support as succeeding in golf leans heavily on expensive equipment.
If the team had its way, they would want to be a part of the University’s varsity program and enjoy the benefits that come with it, such as slots for advanced enrollment and more importantly, financial support. Also, the team is aiming to establish a team name in the near future, one that will place along the lines of the more popular Green Archers and Lady Spikers.
Rise and grind
From having to practice in a venue not in the campus to a practice time usually allotted for studying, these hindrances do not pull them down, but actually push the team to greater heights. Practices are held once a week at the Villamor Driving Range every Thursday for two hours from six to eight in the evening. This does not constrain the members from honing their skills; aside from practices, some of these players sacrifice their own free time to hone their skills.
“Aside from the weekly [team] practice, I play in the Peninsula Golf Club every weekend to improve individually and for the team,” adds member Allan Bumagat (III, BS-MKT).
Aside from the titles in the Philippine InterCollegiate Golf Championships that the team has pulled together for the glory for the school, they have also won multiple titles in other championship tourneys, such as the Samsung Interscholastic Golf Championships.
“The DLSU golf team is a very competitive team and improves every year through constant practice because the players are very determined to get better every season,” concludes Gallardo.
