5-year old daughter of Zamboanga-born Philippine
Daily Inquirer journalist brings pride to Zamboanga
text ARIZZA ANN SAHI NOCUM, Gr. 5 – Esmeralda, School of the Holy Spirit, Quezon City

Ashia Marie Sahi Nocum, daughter of Zamboanga-born Inquirer reporter Armand N. Nocum, landed 1st runner-up in the DHL National Age Group Championship golf tournament Saturday at the Riviera Sports & Country Club in Silang, Cavite.

The tournament, which is the first time to be participated in by 5-year-old Ashia, was held during 4 consecutive Saturdays this month of February.

Nocum, currently a preparatory student at the School of the Holy Spirit of Quezon City, is set to participate next in the JunGolf Monthly Tournament that will be held on March 4 & 5. The winners will qualify for the Asian Pacific Junior Golf Championship to be held in Singapore.

During the tournament, Nocum was held back because of bad putting and the tendency of not concentrating but still she was able to cope well with her opponents.

Mr. Nocum discovered early on his youngest child’s interest for golf when she started to hold his golf clubs which she called “doyf” and which she toyed around with plastic golf balls. Her father used to joke that she started having interest in golf even before she started to talk straight.

Still in her pampers at age 2, she was already playing golf with a plastic golf club indoors. Through these past years, she had accompanied her father to the driving range many times.Most of the time, it was she who asked her father to accompany her to the driving range and would cry when her father returns home from playing golf without bringing her with him.

“I would have stopped playing golf for lack of time and due to the high expense involved in golf if not for Ashia who continually pestered me to bring her to the driving range which gave me no choice but to play along with her,” the elder Nocum told this writer.

He said Ashia’s constant practice has allowed her to improve her rare talent. With the help of a golf pro these past few weeks, she was able to progress her skill in putting and in driving. Yesterday, she has been able to show lots of improvement from her previous games in the same tournament.

Although Mr. Nocum is happy about Ashia’s achievements in golf, he said he is contented with the thought for now that Ashia is enjoying herself. He recalls that almost all the golf pros at the Royale Maru Driving Range in Quezon City are in high praises of Ashia’s talent saying, that she will really go far in the game having started so young.

But Nocum says: “Well, she may succeed in this game or she may lose interest in the future but what is important now is that she is having a good time playing and making her relatives in Zamboanga very proud.”

Nocum promises that if Ashia continues with her interest in the game she will make herself known as a Zamboangeña who is half-Muslim, her mother being a native of Jolo, Sulu.

“Right now she is the only Christian-Muslim I know who is playing in her category,” he said of Ashia who is playing in the F category, which is reserved for players 6 years and under.(ZS)