San Miguel Corporation head honcho, Ramon S. Ang, the successful owner of Philippine Basketball Association teams San Miguel Beer, Magnolia Hotshots, and Ginebra San Miguel, is now lending his generous helping hand to golfers Laurea and Lia Duque.
Ang, or RSA to the local business and sporting community, is throwing his full support behind the sisters Laurea and Lia as the two pursue their dreams of making it big in the sport.
Laurea, 18, is a national pool member for four years and has represented the country in various junior and open amateur events.
The younger Lia, 14, is an up-and-coming talent, who has great potential to be one of the better golfers in the country before she is done.
The Duque sisters are now the main draw of Team SMC in golf and are the only golfers fully supported by the conglomerate in the sport.
The support covers everything from local and overseas tournaments, equipment, apparel, uniform and gear, as well as all necessary coaching, from swing to putting and short game, to strength and conditioning.
Seeking world-class coaching that is not just available anywhere, SMC is sending Laurea to regional golfing power Thailand at least two weeks every month and a half to have her train with coach Kris Assawaniporn, credited with producing current world number three Atthaya “Jeeno” Thitikul.
Her recent trip to Bangkok last month added a special treat as she was able to train for a couple of days with the top Thai golfer.
On the other hand, Lia begins her Thailand sojourn in 2023.
SMC hopes that the sisters will benefit from the world-class training, which the firm hopes will translate into a vast improvement in their games and further result in good performances and even wins in big international competition.
Their last US summer tour, funded by SMC and BMW Philippines, an RSA company, resulted in a number of good finishes for the sisters in Northern California, highlighted by Laurea winning the San Francisco Junior Championships, one of the oldest junior events in the U.S.
This is an auspicious start for her as the event has been won by a number of big names in the sport, including former LPGA winner and Filipino-American golfer, Dorothy Delasin.
SMC has vowed to fully back the sisters in their golf journey whether it takes them to a college golf path or an early professional career. And with the Midas touch of RSA in sports, it will not be far-fetched to expect big things from the Duque sisters.