UP-EEEI BS Computer Engineering student Jamina Gayle Uttoh placed second in the Individual Women’s Division during the first leg of the 2023 Philippine Intercollegiate Golf Series held last January 22, 29 and Feb 5, 2023. Uttoh, along with two other students from the University of the Philippines Angela Villamil and Sofia Marantan, also placed second in the Team Women’s Division.
What sparked your interest in golfing?
“I started to play golf when I was only about 7 years old. My father played an instrumental key in introducing me to this sport as he was the one to first play this. I remember having a practice putting green at home, and as a kid, enjoyed being able to shoot balls in the hole. We had competitions on who will be able to shoot the most in a series of putts, and that I think, gave birth to my competitive spirit. Putters became full set clubs as I continued to delve deeper in my golf journey. It was at Citigolf where I first formally started my golfing experience. It was the first time I held clubs and hit balls at a distance. As I came to learn this sport better, there came competitions along the way. These competitions are what made me stay for (approx.) 12 years in this sport. These events are where… Friends were met; Rivals were created; Experiences were made.”
What were your experiences, realizations during the competition?
“I have been joining competitions/tournaments for as long as I’ve been playing. With that said, it is safe to say that I am not a newbie to the pressure that events like the Intercollegiate Golf Tournament entails. However, the experience is new in a sense that it is the first time that I am in a (school) team. I’ve joined Interschool tournaments before, but I was only competing individually as there were no other golfers in my school back then. This is a new feeling and experience as I am not only playing for my name, but for the name of our beloved university. Moreover, the UP Golf Team has only been established a week before the tournament. Despite being the underdog team, I can say that the team has so much potential.”
“In such a short notice, we’ve proven that we can compete against other university/college giants. We’ve managed to place second in the women’s team, as well as place second in women’s individual.”
What’s next for you? Do you plan on joining other competitions soon?
For the recently concluded competition, I honestly have not had a lot of practice to ensure my physical readiness. Despite not having my usual training before a tournament, feats were achieved not just in the individual category, but also in the team category. We may have fallen short of the crown for now, but we are certain that we will get better next time. Hopefully, I’ll be able to join the team again for the 2nd leg of the Intercollegiate Golf Series this upcoming April/May. Until then, I’ll be practicing and working on parts of the game that I failed to master. With that, I hope that the UP Golf Team receives more support and that our team grows, not just in numbers, but also as a family.