Philippine golf’s future is so bright it shines through the present.
In a tournament reserved for the best female golfers in the country, a horde of young talents — most of them still competing in the junior meets — showed that they were ready for the big stage.
Tip of the spear was Cebuana junior golfer Grace Pauline Quintanilla who blasted through with a one-under-par 70 on Tuesday to take the lead in the Philippine Ladies Open at Manila Golf Club.
The 17-year-old Quintanilla, who had an extensive stint in the United States last year, now holds a two-stroke lead over fellow youngster Laurea Duque who had a one-over-par 72.
Another junior golfer Precious Zaragosa hit a 74 to crowd the top three in the standings.
The young guns have taken over this early in the tournament which determines the Philippine delegation to the Queen Sirikit Cup in New Zealand next month.
Lee Ji Won of South Korea occupied fourth place following a 75, while one stroke behind her were Filipino jungolf stalwarts Alessandra Luciano, Reese Allyson Ng and Anya Cedo.
A big bunch of yet another junior golf standouts followed after identical 77s in the first of three rounds of the meet presented by Monde Nissin and organized by the Women’s Golf Association of the Philippines.
Francesca Nicole Gan, Lia Duque, Anna Kei Fernandez, Crista Miñoza and Tashanah Balangauan are joint sixth place.
Lia Rosca is at solo seventh with 78, while junior circuit champs Levonne Talion and Alethea Gaccion are at shared eighth after a 79.
