The UAAP takes a decisive step in expanding its sporting landscape as varsity golf receives a major boost ahead of its inaugural staging, following a landmark three-year partnership with Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.

This collaboration not only brings the sport into the UAAP calendar as a demonstration event, but also signals a bold commitment to diversifying the league’s portfolio and elevating emerging disciplines.

The inaugural UAAP golf tournament will be held from May 11 to 14 at Tagaytay Midlands, featuring both individual and team competitions among participating universities.

More than just an addition to the roster, the partnership lays the groundwork for a structured and sustainable pathway for aspiring collegiate golfers. By integrating golf into one of the country’s premier university leagues, the initiative strengthens talent development, widens competitive opportunities and bridges the gap between amateur promise and elite performance.

With this milestone, the UAAP reinforces its role as a catalyst for growth in Philippine sports – opening new fairways for student-athletes and setting the stage for golf’s long-term inclusion in the collegiate arena.

UAAP Season 88 President Fr. Rodel Cansancio, OP, of the University of Santo Tomas, emphasized the importance of collaboration during the formal contract signing held at the UAAP Invitational Golf Tournament at The Country Club on Monday. The event gathered 60 participants from various sectors, including sports officials, alumni and media personalities.

Among the participants were PSC Chairman Gregorio, SBP Executive Director Erika Dy, De La Salle University President Bro. Bernie Oca, FSC, and University of the East President Dr. Zing Battad.

“Today marks the formal contract signing of the partnership between the UAAP and PGTI for the organization of the UAAP golf tournament. This partnership is expected to yield substantial benefits for the UAAP and the student-athletes,” said Fr. Cansancio.

He added that the initiative was rooted in a broader national sports development framework.

“The initiative to offer golf in the UAAP was recommended by PSC Chairman Pato Gregorio, consistent with the Philippine Sports Development Program. It directly supports the mandate to offer Olympic-aligned sports to develop world-class athletes. Our goal here is continuity: to build a clear pathway from grassroots participation, through collegiate competition, and onward to the world stage,” he said.

Cansancio also noted that golf’s inclusion in the UAAP formalizes an existing collegiate tradition.

“Among the Olympic-aligned sports recommended– including gymnastics, boxing, and shooting – the UAAP has chosen to begin with golf. This is a natural step because an intercollegiate golf tournament is already actively participated in by UP, Ateneo, La Salle and UST. We are formalizing and elevating an existing collegiate tradition into the official UAAP program.”

For PGTI, the partnership reinforces its long-term mission of developing the sport across all levels.

“In 2004, when we launched this initiative, our goal was to grow the sport of golf. We started with a 50-golf tour, which is our professional tour. We then launched the Ladies PGT, followed by junior golf,” said PGTI general manager Colo Ventosa.

“After establishing the junior level, we felt the need for a collegiate platform – a bridge between junior and professional golf – and that is how the Intercollegiate Tour came about, in partnership with the UAAP,” she added.

“We are very excited because this provides a wonderful venue for collegiate players to showcase their skills and potentially progress to professional golf or even Olympic sports. We aim to give them a platform to compete in environments similar to international tournaments, and we look forward to the continuation of this partnership in the coming years,” said Ventosa.

UAAP executive director Atty. Rene Saguisag Jr., meanwhile, highlighted both the challenges and opportunities of staging golf within the collegiate league.

“To begin with, unlike other ball games or sports, golf does not use a standardized playing area. You have to deal with varying conditions in different courses,” Saguisag said.

“In most standard sports, you have fixed elements such as a net, a court, or defined dimensions. That is something competitors have to adjust to every time they play golf. Of course, there are also natural elements that come into play,” he added.

He also emphasized the importance of strong partnerships in sustaining the program.

“In any case, mounting an event like this and including it in the UAAP is a rather challenging task, which is why we need partners and sponsors to make it happen. There is a commercial side to this that people don’t often talk about, but it is an important part of sustaining the program,” he said.

Meanwhile, Musong Castillo of the Philippine Daily Inquirer emerged as overall low net champion with a 71, while Francis Tueros claimed low gross honors after shooting an 82.

Division winners were former UP Fighting Maroon Jett Manuel (Class A with a gross score of 84 and a net 71), Randy Caluag of Manila Standard (Class B with gross 95 and net 72) and Waylon Galvez of Tiebreaker Times (Class C with gross 112 and net 78).

Dy topped the ladies’ division with a gross score of 89 and a net 73, while Doy Ubaldo ruled the seniors category, edging out Jaime Bautista and Alfredo De Vera on countback after they all matched gross scores of 92 and net 72.