I ONCE portrayed golf as a sport for senior citizens. Yes, my bad.
When it was my time to try the sport, I got hooked and it became one of my weekend hobbies.
In this sport, you learn the importance of planning to win. It’s the kind of game that will test your ability to calculate, your patience and consistency.
Somebody said the best things in life are worth waiting for. Patience is a virtue that must be embedded in every golfer who want to make it big in the sport.
Golf sensation Jobim Carlos is one fine athlete who believes that the best things in life are worth waiting—and working—for.
The back-to-back Philippine amateur golf champion and qualifier to the 2016 Asian Tour is willing to take the long road in his dream to becoming the first Filipino to enter the Professional Golfers Association—considered as the NBA of golf.
“Whatever it takes,” Carlos told this corner during an interview at the Kagitingan Driving Range at the BGC in Taguig. “It’s going to be a long road, no cutting corners. Hindi ko masasabi but I will try hard and see what happens.”
For one aspirant to reach the PGA, he has to go through a lot of difficult tournaments. Joining PGA sanctioned tournaments is one of them. His recent accomplishment was placing 15th among 200 participants in the Qualifying School event in Thailand and getting closer to earning a ticket to the Asian Tour.
From there, the 23-year-old aspires to join the PGA web.com tour, a minor PGA event, and play at least 25 tournaments across the United States. Doing that could cost him millions of pesos.
“It really takes a lot of resources. It’s a long a road and sobrang hirap but it’s the only way,” said the 23-year-old who idolizes golf legend Jack Nicklaus.
“Iba talaga ang confidence ni Jack compared with other players. He has certain belief in himself, the character in him. That’s what I want to emulate.”
There’s one big reason why this man dares to dream and is brimming with confidence. He has no less than the former three-time world Carito Villaroman as his coach.
Villaroman said he has high hopes for Carlos to become the first Filipino to play in the PGA. “I joined his team because I saw his demeanor, his willingness to do the task. He has what to it takes to become what he aspires for himself.”
Villaroman definitely recognizes a talent when he sees one. He held the world junior record as a 15-year-old. He is the first recipient of a US NCAA scholarship among Filipinos and has seen action for 20 years in the Asian Tour.
“I always tell Jobim to just stay in the process, love the process because it’s a very long journey,” said Villaroman. “Golf is not a speed game, it’s a marathon. He has to train, practice and be patient.”
Then, just as I finished a bucket at the driving range, Villaroman also advised me to be patient as well and to start my golf all over again—from the basic.
Yes, it’s going to be long process. Now I understand why I see more citizens playing at the golf course.
