This week, I was privileged to get a peek into what it takes to raise a junior golf champion. I joined one practice session and got to talk to both the parent and the junior golfer. Not just any parent and child — I got to chat with Philippine Basketball Association star Jeff Chan and daughter, 11-year-old Aerin Chan.
Actually, I’ve known Jeff and Aerin for a few years, through my wife Gel. Jeff’s wife Donna Pontiveros-Chan is a good friend, former classmate and volleyball teammate of my wife Gel at Assumption. So, when I saw on FB that Aerin was starting to play golf, and eventually kept on winning tournaments, I was so happy for them.
I never got to play junior golf. It probably is one of my frustrations. I started at around 15 years old, a few years too late, and was not disciplined or motivated enough to get to scratch. In our family, it was my late dad who had endless stories about junior golf.
He would talk about his “Junior RPGA” days in the 1960s and 70s, playing in Wack Wack and Baguio Country Club junior championships. I never got to join junior golf tournaments, so seeing friends’ kids playing and excelling in golf gets me a little jealous.
My 20-year-old son Maui isn’t so much into golf, although he’d play a handful of times a year. Hopefully our one-year-old baby boy, Matteo, gets the golf bug and plays junior golf (and excels).
I joined the Chans in one of their regular (almost daily) practice sessions at Manila Southwoods. Being friends with daddy Jeff and with Aerin being comfortable with her Tito Dino, I got to do an informal interview with them in between hitting shots at the practice range.
According to Jeff, Aerin has been playing for over three years. She took up golf with the encouragement of her grandpa who, on a typical visit to a golf shop with his granddaughter, saw Aerin’s potential when she was playing around with putters.
(Photograph by Dino Datu for the Daily Tribune) PBA superstar Jeff Chan shares not just his athletic genes but patience and guidance with her daughter Aerin.
Dino (to Aerin while she hits wedges to 60 yards): You still like golf?
Aerin: Yes (with a huge smile).
D: If it was summer break and you could play golf everyday, would you?
A: Hmmmm…I’d play 6 days a week.
D: Practice range or fairway?
A: Fairway!
D: What’s your favorite part of your game and least favorite?
A: For sure, driving! I find hitting my driver the easiest. I also like that even if I don’t try to swing so hard, the ball goes really far. My least favorite…well not really least favorite, but where I need to get better is chipping, short game.
I was curious how Jeff squeezes in Aerin’s practice sessions with his own demanding professional basketball career. He said fortunately, his practice sessions for North Port Batang Pier Team are in the early morning.
He’s at practice while Aerin is at school in Poveda. Once practice is over, he picks up Aerin and they try to get a practice session in, whether at City Golf, Valley Golf or at Manila Southwoods.
Of course, this is all dependent on Aerin’s school requirements and deadlines. There are days when they miss practice for homework, which Jeff says is fine because school is still top priority. Being a pro athlete, Jeff’s competitiveness, discipline and drive surely benefits his daughter. He knows what it takes to succeed at the pro level. But being a dad to a budding golf champion, I was curious if he has a tendency to push too hard.
(To be continued)
