Standing outside the spotlight of the University Athletics Association of the Philippines (UAAP), the Ateneo Golf Team (AGT) is beginning to step out of the shadows and into the center of the athletic stage. Despite being in business since its birth in the 1980s, the lack of collegiate competition opportunities has deprived the Blue and White’s golf team from garnering the same recognition as other sports on campus.
In the past few years, the team has grown in both size and stature, bolstering their numbers through recruitment and continuously participating in tournaments such as the International Container Terminal Services Inc. Golf Championship and the annual Ateneo-La Salle Golf Classic Cup.
The annual National Intercollegiate Golf Championship, however, serves as the team’s biggest event during the school year, pitting Blue and Lady Eagles against schools such as De La Salle University, Lyceum of the Philippines University, and University of the Philippines on the collegiate green. The AGT carefully selects only a half-dozen competing players from a pool of more than 20 members to don the school’s colors at the major competition.
The tournament follows a match-play format where teams gain a point for every hole they beat their opponents in. Each team picks four representative players, divided into two pairs, who then go head-to-head in two variations of match-play, best ball, and high-low. Pairings with the most points at the end of a standard 18-hole course are declared the winners.
A new breed of blue
Although the AGT claimed the trophy in the Ateneo-La Salle Golf Classic Cup and finished third at last year’s National Intercollegiate Golf Championship, they were heavily reliant on a number of key members who have since graduated from the Ateneo. With their ranks thinned by numerous departures, the team has stepped up recruitment in a number of ways to fill the gaps on the roster.
Breaking from the traditional process of filling in the holes for the AGT—a procedure that usually begins a few weeks into the school year—team captain Raphael “Guio” Diaz and co-captain Adrian Romero implemented an earlier, more organized recruitment process to get the ball rolling early in the season.
“We scout players in our home courses. We scout players from fourth year high school to see if they can join the team. If they’re already going to Ateneo, then we can try to have them join the team,” states Diaz.
The longer scouting period allowed the AGT to round up seven rookies who make up over a third of the team’s official roster this year, while a few members were added to the training pool. Opening training ahead of schedule gave the captains a bigger window to study each member’s game for reference in pairings and placings in their future competitions.
To guide both rookies and veterans of the team on the green, the AGT trains with coach Buddy de Joya, a seasoned golf teaching professional with more than 20 years of experience. He also writes golf tips and lessons for The Manila Times.
The redefinition of the recruitment process is just one of the changes that is hoped to usher in a cultural overhaul within the team that the leaders are keen on bringing about.
“We started [recruitment] earlier [this year],” Diaz states. “An important thing for us is attitude. Even if we see you’re good, we don’t necessarily accept you into the team unless you can improve.”
Working from the inside
The AGT’s captains thus conduct a thorough assessment of their potential recruits’ personalities. Aside from personal interactions, third-party inquiries from those who have worked with these potential recruits are largely taken into account.
“In line with that, we want to have a better work ethic environment. Because of that, we want the team to be recognized as a team that is really serious about golf and that will inspire others to join,” Romero adds.
To complement the new direction of their drive, the AGT has added an extra dimension of rigor to their training, with the members devoting six days a week to their craft. The team now practices their swings and shots every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at the driving range in Camp Aguinaldo–a 15-minute drive from Ateneo.
Additionally, every Tuesday and Thursday, members are required to hit the Moro Lorenzo Gym to remain in top physical shape over the season. Meanwhile, Saturdays are devoted to fairway practice sessions.
With the significant revamps to the recruitment process, training rigor, and most importantly, the team culture and dynamic, the AGT is looking to make large strides towards competition success and recognition from the Ateneo community.
With interest in the team at an all-time high and an improved internal dynamic poising to reap huge benefits, the AGT is definitely a squad to keep an eye out for.
