The National Golf Association of the Philippines (NGAP) has announced the holding of the annual general council meeting and elections on April 5 at a venue still be announced.
The elections come one year and one week late, one of the issues that are expected to be raised against NGAP president Martin Lorenzo’s administration.
NGAP names NOMELEC members
The NGAP board also named the members of the NOMELEC which will convene to set the timelines and procedures for nominations and elections.
Chaired by lawyer Avelino Sumagui of Luisita Golf and Country Club, the other members are lawyer Marcus Andaya of Valley Golf and Country Club, Raymond Bunquin of Forest Hills Golf and Country Club, Norbert Chico of Splendido Taal Golf Club, and Jose Gerard Asuncion of Eastridge Golf Club.
In its annual report last December, the NGAP boasts of bringing back two major events – the APGC Junior Championships and the Nomura Cup. It also played a big role in the Queen Sirikit Cup which Manila Southwoods hosted.
“The success of these events were the fruits of our collaboration with external and internal partners which are so crucial in moving forward with our goals,” Lorenzo said.
However, the Philippine Open, NGAP’s flagship event, was not held for the fourth straight year.
Last staged in 2019, Asia’s oldest golf tournament was won by Clyde Mondilla at The Country Club in Sta. Rosa, Laguna.
Aside from the one-year delay of the elections, the NGAP is reeling from the country’s poor performances in the Southeast Asian Games and Asian Games and issues surrounding the tapping of a foreign-based World Handicapping System provider.
NGAP urged to demonstrate transparency
An open letter has been making rounds of Viber chat groups calling for transparency after the current WHS only shows a number representing the handicap index without “historical data, recent scores, or explanations of the calculation method employed.”
“This lack of transparency is troubling and raises questions about the governance of the handicapping system,” said the unnamed writer who introduced himself as a tournament director.
According to the letter, the previous WHS provider Silicon empowers tournament directors to efficiently form multiple groups of golf club teams of associations, each comprising numerous players from various clubs.
“This enables us to establish handicaps for a specific course, which will serve as a venue for the particular tournament.
“By doing so, we can offer comprehensive historical indexes of our players at a given time, effectively eliminating any disputes regarding the handicaps to be utilized,” the letter reads.
The letter says the current system lacks the ability to showcase the full range of its capabilities.
While not privy to the business arrangement between NGAP and Silicon, the letter says that ordinary golfers who diligently pay their WHS dues “should not be made to suffer due to contractual disputes or transitions between service providers.”
Last month, Silicon president and chief executive officer Rodel Mangulabnan informed golf clubs that they have not been receiving their share of the WHS fees for the last two years.
The letter calls on the NGAP to “demonstrate its commitment to transparency and user involvement by actively engaging with golfers and incorporating their feedback into developing and refining the handicapping system.”
“By fostering a collaborative approach, NGAP can build trust and confidence in the new system while upholding the integrity of the sport of golf in the Philippines,” the letter concludes.
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