RIYADH, 19 June 2007 — Jun Bantug dropped the good news in my inbox: He, his wife Pilar and son David Lloyd were granted visas by the United States Embassy in Riyadh and their stamped passports would be ready for pick up next Saturday.
Of course, the big news is that David Lloyd is with the Philippine team to compete in the Callaway World Junior Golf Championships to be held July 17-19 in San Diego, California.
The visa thing done father and son can now focus on their preparations for the biggest junior golf event that annually attracts thousands of players around the globe.
As per their travel itinerary, Jun said they would arrive in San Diego from Riyadh on July 13 and stay there for two weeks. Unlike in the Philippine qualifier of the competition a parent or guardian is allowed to caddy so that Jun will carry the bag for his son during the three-day event at the Colina Park Golf Course, a par-54 layout specially designed for junior golfers.
The Philippine Junior Golf Foundation conducted a grueling six rounds of qualifying over 108 holes for six age brackets in the boys and girls division at the Sherwood Hills Golf Club in Trece Martires, Cavite. David Lloyd, a Grade 1 pupil at the Palm Crest International School and is bigger than boys his age, qualified as champion in his age group, Class F (6 and under). The Philippines, with a rich tradition in the competition and where they won championships in different age brackets the last three years, are also entered in Class A (16-17), Class B (13-15), Class C (11-12), Class D (9-10) and Class E (7-8).
For his latest feat, David Lloyd was given a citation by the Filipino Golf Association, the group where his sport-loving dad belongs and served as one of the officers in the past, during the Independence Cup tournament two weeks ago.
Jun says his biggest worry is the jet-leg noting that David Lloyd takes at least a week to adjust and have his normal sleep routine. “In the US, the difference is nine hours and backward to boot,” he said.
In preparation for the US trip Jun, a senior banking analyst with Banque Saudi Fransi, calls practice for his son after office hours at least four times a week at the Intercontinental Golf Club.
Jun says he has to put everything else in the back burner for his son, including his own golf game. He is happy though David Lloyd never loses interest in golf and enjoys playing. The elder Bantug says it’s a pity the longest hole in the upcoming tournament is 120 yards because David Lloyd hits the driver to a distance of 190 plus yards. He routinely carries the water on No. 6 from the white tees at the Intercon, Jun says, adding “David Lloyd would have an edge were the holes stretched longer because he hits like a 9-year old.”
The pride and joy of the Bantug couple got attracted to golf when he then a year and a half old and newly arrived from the Philippines was mimicking his dad when Jun was doing practice swings at home. Jun first bought his son plastic clubs then ordered a kid’s golf set from the US because there is no junior set for lefties in Riyadh. Every so often they would play practice rounds together at the Intercon and David Lloyd, with a natural flair for the game, made a steady progress.
In his first-ever tournament at 5, David Lloyd was first runner-up in the Asia-Pacific Qualifying held in March 2006 at Riviera Golf Club, Silang Cavite. In November of the same year he was the junior division champion in the 2nd BSF Open Golf Championship at the Intercon.
