By Mike Baños
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Pueblo de Oro’s Women’s Team finished a respectable sixth at the recently concluded 29th LUZVIMIN Invitational Golf Tournament held at the Rancho Palos Verdes Golf & Country Club, Davao City on November 19-21, 2024.
Competing in the Emerald Division, the Pueblo team included Gladys Opitz, Carol Jeun, Celine Meñes, Ryry Tanog, Nimfa Sasaki, and Alethea Paige Gaccion.
Despite being the team’s most junior player, Ally Gaccion topped the Individual Awards of the tourney organized by the Women’s Golf Association of the Philippines (WGAP) under its 2024 calendar.
The Pueblo Women’s Golf Team poses for a memento with Ally Gaccion, DIVISION 1 Overall Individual Champion at the Women’s Golf Association of the Philippines (WGAP) 29th LUZVIMIN Invitational Golf Tournament held at the Rancho Palos Verdes Golf & Country Club, Davao City on November 19-21, 2024.
Ally finished with 165 points (54 points for day 1, 56 points for day 2, and 55 points for day 3), which made her the DIVISION 1 Overall Individual Champion.
Also a mainstay of Pueblo de Oro Golf’s Junior Girls Team, Ally has been filling up her trophy case with her breakout performance in 2024.
After finishing 5th at the Mazda US College Pre Golf Championship held November 9-11, 2024 at Huahin, Thailand, she qualified to play in the 2025 Mazda US Junior World Cup Invitationals (JWCIFL) in Port St. Lucie, Florida on Jan. 3-5, 2025.
Alethea Paige Gaccion of Pueblo de Oro Junior Girls Team signed on Nov. 11, 2024 with the University of Central Arkansas Women’s Golf Team which competes in the Atlantic Sun Conference, NCAA Division 1 and will join them in the fall of 2025 under a full athletic scholarship. Also in the photo is her long-time coach Magno Arancon.
This follows a string of Class A Division championships at the 2024 ICTSI National Matchplay Finals held Oct. 1-4, 2024 at the Country Club, Sta. Rosa, Laguna; ICTSI/JPGT Mindanao Series 3 Del Monte Golf and Country Club Champion on August 6-9, 2024; and
Ally Gaccion
ICTSI/JPGT Mindanao Series 4 Pueblo de Oro Golf and Country Club on August 12-15, 2024.
She has also made her mark in international tournaments, finishing Top 12 at the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation Junior Championship held at the Southwoods Golf and Country Club, Biñan, Laguna, on September 2-4, 2024; Top 20 at the SINGHA Thailand Junior World Championship held at the Royal Hua Hin Golf Club, Thailand, on September 17-19, 2024; Tied for 4th at the AJGA DANA Incorporated Junior Open held June 24-27, 2024 at the Toledo Country Club, Toledo, Ohio, USA; and tied for 3rd at the USGA Girls Junior Qualifier held at the Colgate University Seven Oaks Golf Club, Hamilton, NY, USA, on June 19, 2024.
The Pueblo Women’s Golf Team
On November 11, 2024, Ally officially signed up to join the UCA Bears, the University of Central Arkansas Women’s Golf Team in the fall of 2025 with a full scholarship. The UCA Bears compete in the Atlantic Sun Conference of the NCAA Division 1 under Head Coach Summer Roachell and Assistant Coach Mary Michael Witherell. They have an international roster with players from France, Puerto Rico, Colombia, Japan, Iceland, and soon, the Philippines!
