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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider Golf devider JGFP World Team meet begins Friday in Davao

JGFP World Team meet begins Friday in Davao

Published Apr 16, 2026 03:28 pm

At A Glance

  • DAVAO CITY — A total of 150 players from 14 countries take center stage as the first ever Junior Golf Foundation of the Philippines (JGFP) World Team Championships begins Friday, April 17, at the Apo Golf and Country Club here.
Junior Golf Foundation of the Philippines (JGFP) president Oliver Gan (third drom right) leads the officials as they hit the ceremonial tee shot to start the first JGFP World Championships at the Apo Golf and Country here. Also in photo (from left) are national team coach Ramon Brobio, Anthony Uy of Darlington Socks, Asian Tour campaigner and JGFP ambassador Carson Herron, Tee to Green CEO Paul Reyes, and Bukidnon Vice Govermor Clive Quino. (JGFP Photo)
Junior Golf Foundation of the Philippines (JGFP) president Oliver Gan (third drom right) leads the officials as they hit the ceremonial tee shot to start the first JGFP World Championships at the Apo Golf and Country here. Also in photo (from left) are national team coach Ramon Brobio, Anthony Uy of Darlington Socks, Asian Tour campaigner and JGFP ambassador Carson Herron, Tee to Green CEO Paul Reyes, and Bukidnon Vice Govermor Clive Quino. (JGFP Photo)
DAVAO CITY — A total of 150 players from 14 countries take center stage as the first ever Junior Golf Foundation of the Philippines (JGFP) World Team Championships begins Friday, April 17, at the Apo Golf and Country Club here.
Young golfers from host nation Philippines lead the participating countries as they face challenges from different teams, led by powerhouse Thailand, China, Australia, Malaysia, Japan and Indonesia, while individual entries are also seeing action from Germany, India, Chinese-Taipei, and Myanmar.
The country is fielding multiple teams in each of the three divisions, and leading the campaign for Team PH in the three-day meet is the JGFP and NGAP, or the National Golf Association of the Philippines, backed squad of Geoff Tan, Nicole Gaisano Gan, Tristan Jefferson Padilla and Vito Sarines in the premier 13-18 age-group division.
Competition will also be held for the 9-12 and 8-under brackets. The 13-18 and 9-12 divisions will be played for three rounds while the 8-under will be contested for 36 holes. The top Filipino campaigner for boys and girls in the 13-18 will qualify in the Asia Pacific golf meet this June in Sri Lanka.
The event aims to position Mindanao, and Davao City in particular, as a serious hub in the national junior golf ecosystem, not just a warm weather playground for visiting pros. This is just the second international tournament ever hosted by Apo Golf—a milestone for the club and for Mindanao golf.
The first such event was a breakthrough in putting the course on the regional map; this follow up installs it firmly in the junior golf tour calendar and gives Filipino juniors a rare chance to compete against overseas talent without leaving the island.
Close to 50 players and their parents have already checked in at Sotogrande Hotel, the official home base of the championships The JGFP, which has spent years in forming a solid grassroots programs across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, is organizing the backed by the NGAP, underscoring the sport’s institutional backing.
Major sponsors including the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), the NGAP Islandwide, and JS Gaisano Malls reflect the overlap of government, federation, corporate, and local business interests in youth sports development.
“The championships are more than a tournament—they embody our core mission of using golf to build character, foster sportsmanship, and promote unity among youth from different nations. We are deeply grateful to the NGAP, the PSC, Islandwide, JS Gaisano Malls, the DoT, the City Government of Davao, and all our partners and sponsors for their support in making this dream a reality,” said JGFP president Oliver Gan.
Senator Bong Go, the chairperson for committe for sports
in the senate, is set to hit the afternoon batxh of ceremonial tee shot with Apo Golf and Country Club president Leo Magno, Director Lyle Uy of the Department of Tourism, and DoT regional director Tanya Rabat Tan before the 3 p.m. opening ceremonies Thursday.
In the morning batch of ceremonial tee shot, in attendance were national team coach Ramon Brobio, JGFP Ambassador Carson Herron, John Gaisano of JS Gaisano Malls, Anthony Uy of Darlington Socks,, Tee to Green CEO Paul Reyes, and Bukidnon Vice Govermor Clive Quino —underscoring the convergence of sports, tourism, and local business behind this landmark junior golf event.
For Davao City, the JGFP World Team Championships are more than a one week tournament; they are part of a broader push to use youth sports as a vehicle for community building, tourism branding, and long term golf development.
By bringing together international junior squads, local officials, and national level sports leaders, Apo Golf is quietly asserting that Mindanao deserves a bigger voice in the Philippine golf story.

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Junior Golf Foundation of the Philippines (JGFP) World Team Championships
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