By Aura Sison & Marcus Suner

The Team 1 of Ateneo High School’s Golf Team, consisting of Andre Lina (JHS, 10-Yuki), Kirk Dela Torre (SHS, 11-Borja), Glenn Unabia (SHS, 11-Bellarmino), and Team Captain Tyler Phoenix Zamuco (SHS, 12-Anchieta) finished third at the the Junior Golf Foundation of the Philippines Inter-School Championship, held from October 16 to December 4, 2022, at three separate golf courses in Cavite and Pampanga. 

“It was our good team chemistry paired with our own individual desires to win for the school that primarily led the team to our spot on the podium,” said Zamuco in a statement.

Over the course of five games, the team competed against hundreds of skilled players from top schools nationwide, including De La Salle Zobel, La Salle Greenhills, Xavier School, and British School Manila.  

Prior to the large event, the Captain described that, “despite the challenges faced by the team as a whole,” they “were still able to perform to the best of [their] abilities.”

When asked how the team prepared for the tournament, Zamuco elaborated on these challenges, saying that these “revolved around communication and initiative”, given that most of their efforts were focused on either individual or team practice sessions. 

He also emphasized the players’ self-discipline, as it played a key role in all of their preparations.

As of writing, the team has no other tournaments planned in the near future. However, Tyler has said that training is still ongoing every Friday, and prospective students interested in improving their gameplay are free to get in touch to practice alongside the members of the varsity team.

Thumbnail from Ateneo de Manila Senior High School