...the 2019 WAGC World Finalist

Philippines finishes second overall in 2019 WAGC World Finals

Jean Russel V. David
Manila Times
03 November 2019

The Philippine team finished second overall in the recently concluded 2019 World Amateur Golfers Championship (WAGC) World Finals on October 19 to 26 in Sabah, Malaysia.

Team captain Joseph Uy together with WAGC team members Edsel Opulencia, Chucky Reyes, Fernando Reyes, and Rutsy Ramirez played hot on the last day, shocking heavy favorites that include New Zealand, Japan and Sweden to finish second.

The Philippines carded a total of 1,178 aggregate points banking on rounds of 300, 294, 289, and 295.

Malaysia notched 1,115 (284, 283, 289, 299) to bag the overall title while New Zealand came in at third with 1,182 (298, 294, 300, 290).

In the individual race, Uy of Forest Hills and Chucky of Valley Golf claimed the top honors in Division 2 and 3, respectively.

Skipper Uy scored 290 to beat Henry Gao of New Zealand and Mika Laaksonen of Finland, who had identical 294s.

Chucky, meanwhile, shot a 291 to win by two strokes against Kazuhito Miyawaki of Japan and Alexander Carlsson of Sweden, who had identical 293s.

Opulencia landed fifth with a 303 in Division 1 while Fernando Reyes had a 315 while Rutsy Ramirez scored 306 to settle at the 12th and seventh places in Divisions 4 and 5, respectively.

In the World Amateur Golfers Invitational finals, Division 3’s Ernest Platon and Division 5’s Vicky Herrera both emerged first placers.

Platon dominated his division with a 291 while Herrera outclassed her rivals with a strong 294.

Blake Go of Cebu City finished eighth with a 309 in Division 2.

The tandem of Go and Platon, on the other hand, finished fifth overall out of 75 teams in the 2-man play.