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Lee to play in PH golf tourney
Edward Lee looks at the direction of his tee shot while competing in the final round of last year’s Annual Club Lao Charity Golf Tournament on the east course of the Laolao Bay Golf & Resort. (Jon Perez)
Edward Lee left Saipan yesterday to compete in the 21st Philippine Airlines Junior Golf Association of the Philippines this weekend at the sprawling Pradera Verde Golf & Country Club in Lubao, Pampanga.
The 7,214-yard Pradera Verde, the lone golf course located at the village of Prado Siongco in the municipality of Lubao, will host the tournament from April 13 to 15.
Fellow CNMI junior golfer Sebastian Camacho and Joe “Kamikaze” Camacho joined Lee on the PH trip with the latter acting as their coach.
Lee, fresh from a successful title defense bid in last Saturday’s Hyatt Regency Saipan 22nd Annual Charity Golf Classic, said he always looks forward to representing the CNMI in off-island competitions.
“I’m excited to go off-island again. It’s always nice to represent the CNMI in international competitions,” Lee told Saipan Tribune in a telephone interview last Monday night.
When he was just 12 years old, Lee represented the Commonwealth in the IMG Junior World Championships held at the Torrey Pines Golf Course in San Diego, California and finished tied for No. 41 spot among the more than 100 participants. He was also a two-time champion in the 11-12 age group event in the Annual BMW Junior Open Championships held in Guam, winning it for the last time in 2016.
Lee said that he is not expecting much in the PAL junior golf, but would take every chance of having a respectable finish in the PH competition.
“It will all depend on the conditions of the course. I’ll take advantage of the practice rounds to study the layout and will also work on my short game. Hopefully I could make it to the Top 5,” Lee added.
Joe Camacho, in a separate interview with the Saipan Tribune, said he is excited for Lee as he again competes in an expected tough field. “We’re looking forward for this trip. This is a good exposure for him.”
The trio left Saipan Tuesday night and will stay for a few hours in Guam for their connecting flight to Manila today. Thursday is the practice round, while the tournament will open on Friday. Lee and Sebastian will be pitted against the PH’s top junior golfers and other promising players from Asia, including those from Malaysia, Singapore, and Vietnam.
