By Vip Malixi

Golf is such a rich sport that a touring pro can make a darn good living just winning tournaments in the US, Europe or Japan now and then and making the cut more often than not. Even if you’re not a Tiger Woods or an Annika Sorenstam, if you live in a developing country like the Philippines, you can probably save up a nice nest egg with a career in golf. No wonder that Filipino parents are considering golf as an actual “vocation” for their children as swinging clubs and putting balls seem more financially-rewarding than being a doctor, a lawyer, or an architect.

You need talent, passion and an early start to reach “that” level where you make good enough money though (according to Yahoo Sports, Jennifer Rosales’ career earnings are over $2 million! Frankie Miñoza’s 2007 earnings are already over $100,000!). So if your kid shows signs of exceptional hand-eye coordination and body control, if they can sink balls with that plastic putter as if they were born with it, what’s the next step? What can you do to develop your Mini-Me into a Modern Mickelson? We asked the top Junior Golf teachers survey-getters for their tips and advice: Abe Rosal, Balty Baltazar, Jun Cedo, and Carito Villaroman.

Number one for these Master Yodas is: you have to make it fun. Jun Cedo says it’s important for kids to enjoy mastering the game. “I remember attending golf school and really enjoying it. It was not too technical. Kids must feel it’s just a game, where you meet friends, have fun. You must introduce the hard parts of golf slowly.”

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Cyna Rodriguez played just well enough to fire a one-under par 71 as she safely made it to the match play event of the 2007 US Girls Junior Golf Championship at the Tacoma Golf and Country in Lakewood, Washington Tuesday.

Rodriguez, who could only match par 72 in the first day of the 36-hole stroke play elims, birdied two of her first six holes but stumbled with back-to-back bogeys from No. 7 to make the turn at even par.

She went two under against with birdies Nos. 11 and 16 but dropped a shot on the par-3 17 to settle for that 71. Still, it was good enough to give her a spot in the 64-player match play phase as she finished in joint 17th with a one-under 143.

The 15-year-old Rodriguez drew Alison Lee of California in the first round of match play, which features low medallist Kimberly Kim of Hawaii, who slowed down with a 72 after a sizzling 62 for a 134.

Korean Ha Na Jang took the No.2 spot with a 136 after a 67 while Mina Harigae, also of California, shot a 69 to finish third with a 137.

But while Rodriguez advanced, ICTSI teammates Dottie Ardina and Chihiro Ikeda fell by the wayside with second straight 76s, barely missing the cutoff score at 151.

Ardina and Ikeda actually appeared headed for a big comeback with birdies in their opening holes. But Ardina, winner of four titles abroad this year, made five bogeys in a 10-hole stretch while Ikeda, who ruled the Jakarta Junior tilt last month, also dropped
five strokes in a span of 13 holes to limp with identical 76s and 152s.

Meanwhile, national champion Jay Bayron gets the rare chance to play against the world’s finest amateurs when he competes in the 49th Annual Porter Cup set to fire off Wednesday (Thursday in Manila) in Buffalo, New York.

Bayron, 28, is the lone Filipino invitee to the event, which gathers the top 100 amateurs in the world. At No. 70 in the world amateur ranking, Bayron, winner of this year’s Saujana Amateur champion, will be ranged against the likes of defending champion Han Seung-su of UNLV, current No. 1 Kyle Stanley of Clemson University, the first team NCAA All-Americans members Billy Horschel of Florida and Coastal Carolina’s Dustin Johnson, members of the Australian national team and the other top players from Canada, New Zealand, Korea, Thailand, France, Brazil and Chile.

Andie Unson, who dominated the recent Billy Kids Junior Golf Tournament in Tecolote Canyon, San Diego, receives a plaque from a tournament official for shooting one over par for 18 holes in the 11-12 years division. Unson played in eight tournaments in San Diego, winning four times, placing second thrice and ending up third once.