Kamikaze off to Beijing for JWC pro-am

Veteran golfer Joe “Kamikaze” Camacho vows he would perform at a peak level and represent the CNMI as best he could when he participates in the Johnny Walker Classic Pro-Am Event this coming April 20.

After playing in the one-day pro-am event at the Pine Valley Golf Resort and Country Club in Beijing, China, Camacho would have a once in a lifetime opportunity to see the world’s top players compete in the four-round Johnny Walker Classic set from April 21 to April 24.

“I’m really thrilled and honored to represent the CNMI in the Johnny Walker Classic pro-am. I promise to perform the best I can and make a good impression that we [golfers from the Marianas] have what it takes to play in the big stage,” said Camacho.

The 2003 Suva South Pacific Games veteran was afforded the opportunity to play in the pro-am event after he won the Championship Flight in last August’s 2004 Tournament of Champions.

Camacho, together with TOC co-chairmen Rodney Klinge and Ben Babauta, will leave for Beijing on April 17 and spend the next eight days rubbing elbows with some of the best golf players in the world.

“I would like to thank Rodney, Ben and rest of the people behind TOC for all their hard work. I support the TOC because the event always gives something back to the community,” said Camacho.

Klinge said this year marks the first time the Johnnie Walker Classic would be held in China. He said the Johnnie Walker Classic is the region’s most prestigious and richest golf tournament and is sanctioned by the U.S. PGA, the European Tour, and the Asian Tour.

Aside from accompanying Camacho, Babauta and Klinge are also expected to participate in some of the events that surround the Johnny Walker Classic and hope to bring back ideas for improving the TOC for this year and the years to come.

Babauta said participating in the Johnnie Walker Classic would bring world recognition to the CNMI. He said the pro-am event would have substantial media coverage and Camacho’s name and where he comes from would definitely get some exposure one way or the other.

Babauta said receiving a slot in the Johnnie Walker Classic is a prestigious honor and was offered to the TOC for the first time last year. He said even when Guam was staging their TOCs, they never got this kind of offer from Johnny Walker. Babauta said it is his hope that the Johnny Walker Classic slot will be made available to TOC for many years into the future.