Lorenzo retained as golf chief

Martin Lorenzo, Aurelio Montinola and Al Panlilio kept their posts as president, chairman and treasurer, respectively, of the National Golf Association of the Philippines (NGAP), while Rolly Romero is the new vice president after the NGAP Annual Council Meeting and Biennial elections at the Alabang Country Club.

Romero of Camp Aguinaldo Golf Club topped the polls with 117 votes, followed by Jose Iñigo of Riviera with 114 votes; Paul Shin Chan of Sherwood Hills Golf Club, 107; Panlilio of Manila Golf, 95; Vicente Santos of Sta. Lucia, 94; and Montinola, also of Manila Golf, and Jose Dagdagan of Anvaya Cove and Ayala Greenfield, 93 votes.

Lorenzo, who represents Luisita Golf and Country Club, Del Monte and Sta. Elena, actually drew 91 votes but was given a fresh mandate by the board to head the restart of the country’s governing body for the sport’s program held back by the global health crisis last year.

Completing the 11-man board are Kit Angeles (90) of Eastridge, Jake Corporal (88) of Alabang CC, and Peng de Tagle (85) of Manila Southwoods and Camp John Hay.

With Lorenzo, whose Lapanday Foods Corp. acquired Luisita GCC in 2016, taking over the NGAP helm in 2018, the Philippines swept the individual and team gold medals in women’s play in the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta and the 2019 SEA Games in Manila.

But the NGAP managed to stage just one tournament last year, the National Stroke Play Championships ruled by South Korean Min Wook Gwon and rising local star Rianne Malixi at Riviera in Silang, Cavite, as the Covid-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of its calendar of events the rest of 2020, including the centerpiece Philippine Junior Amateur Open and the PHL Am Open Match Play.