By: Maria Girlie Pascual
There are over 100 courses in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and for the last ten years, we have played some of those glorious greens including the Legends courses of Parkland, Moorland, Heathland, and the oh-so-daunting and one of Golf Digest’s Top 100 courses in the U.S., the challenging Oyster Bay. We were initimidated by John Daly’s Wicked Stick Golf Course, enthralled by Pawley’s Plantation, mesmerized by the 7000 yards of the daunting TPC Myrtle course designed by famed PGA Champ Tom Fazio, and last Labor Day, forced to walk the fairways for the “Cart Path Only” golfing at the Cats Courses, namely Panther’s Run, Leopard’s Chase and Lion’s Paw, another favorite of GOlf Digest through the years. The hot, humid and muggy air was portentous of the following week’s arrival of Hurricane Irma, a storm that we missed, and thank God that we did!
This year’s Open Tournament teams included our league, the Asian American Golfers of Illinois or AAGI led by James dela Cruz, the Philippine Golf Association of Kentucky led by Dr. Jonathan Eugenio, and the Fullswing Golfers of Missouri led by Jerome Buenaventura. These three guys, along with absentee founder Oscar Ibrahim of West Virginia, founded the Open Tournament five years ago to have a unified tournament comprised of different teams from various states with “one vision, one goal, one dream.” What was special this year was the participation of the Carolina Group of Golfers led by Bert Rodriguez and Veb Venci, a friendly but talented team of players from different age groups who showed up in team uniform and with their robust team spirit, gave us all a great run for the Championship title.
The two-day tournament was a shot gun format with individual stroke format and we finished in a record five-hour round on both days because the rains made all the bunkers unplayable. Missouri dominated once more, and we all good naturedly applauded their win.
Please enjoy the gallery of pictures from our tournament and we hope you can join us next year! For inquiries, please email James dela Cruz at aagichicago.com, or call me at (847) 912-3997.
The Open Tournament Winning Team of Fullswing Missouri
A pimped out golf cart in Myrtle Beach – hanging out w Joe Molina
The AAGI League with James Delacruz
The Carolina Golfers with Bert Rodriguez and Veb Venci
The FullSwing Golfers Of Missouri with Jerome Buenaventura
The PAGAK Kentucky Golfers with Dr Jonathan Eugenio
The Lady Golfers (L-R) Marilyn Donato of PAGAK Kentucky, Julie Nathanson and Champion Simay Souvannarath of Fullswing Missouri and Girlie Pascual of AAGI Illinois
Team AAGI (L-R) James Delacruz, Joe Molina, Gerry Liwanag, Larry Fong, Rowel Plata, Clive Merrill, Izzy Tovar and Carolina resident Chinda Khiev
Awards Night w James DC, Jerome Buenaventura, Champion Lady Golfer Simay Souvannarath, Dr Jon Eugenio and Carolina Captain Bert Rodriguez
Party People Tyrone Powers w Dr Jon Eugenio of Kentucky w Girlie Pascual of AAGI, Heather and Jeff Reeves of Fullswing and Bert Rodriguez of the Carolina Golfers
AAGI Chairman Clive Merrill and Dolly Buenaventura of Fullswing Missouri
AAGI golf couple Veronica and Izzy Tovar
The happy reunion of Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri and Carolina players at the Meet and Greet at the Ocean Ridge clubhouse Myrtle Beach
Tyrone Powers and James DC reunited again
Presenting the New Kids on the Course — the Carolina Golfers from the North and South of Myrtle Beach — welcome and thanks for joining us!
Threesome smiles from (L-R) Tyrone Powers, Cesar Agtarap of Kentucky and newly relocated Veb Venci of the Carolina Golfers
Chef and golf pro Chinda Khiev adjusts AAGI new officer and past president Joe Molina’s putting style
Chinda Khiev cooks ribeye steaks for the hungry AAGi Team
Happy Birthday Clive Merrill, Rules and Regulations chair of AAGI