KRIS Library
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Background
    • History
  • Projects
    • Our Libraries >
      • KRIS Library - Zamboanga City
      • KRIS Library - Quezon City
      • KRIS Library - Tungawan
      • KRIS Library - Bangkal
      • KRIS Library - Rizal
      • KRIS Library - Davao
    • Scholarships
    • Enrichment Activities
    • Book Donations
    • Videos
    • Recognition & Partnerships
  • Take Action
    • Donate
    • Share Resources
    • Volunteer
  • Contact us
  • Blog

Ashia Nocum Makes Philippine History By Driving Her 5th Hole In One!

8/26/2012

2 Comments

 
                My daughter Ashia Sahi Nocum made Philippine golf history today by becoming the country's only female junior golfer to make five holes in one by age 11 years old.

                Ashia's 5th Ace happened during a Junior Golf Association of the Philippines' Inter-School Tournament for Girls at the Valley Golf and Country Club in Antipolo, Rizal. She used an eight-iron to ace the 110-yards 12th hole in Valley Golf.

                 Hitting a hole in one-in-one is so hard that the odds against one doing it is 1 in 45,000 for adults and professional golfers; and few people can actually do it.

                 This is such a sweet gift from God to our family and to Ashia who had fallen in love with golf at age 2, won a slot to represent the Philippines in a junior golf world competition by age 6; and made her first hole-in-one in San Diego, with me acting as her caddy.

                This was the news item about Ashia coming out in major newspapers in April 22, 2009:

                                            MUSLIM ACE FIRES 4th HOLE-IN-ONE

Ashia Sahi Nocum, the country's only Filipino-Muslim international junior golf competitor, scored her fourth hole-in-one in a practice round Friday for the qualifying tournament of the 2009 Callaway Junior Golf Championships at the Manila Southwoods golf course in Cavite.

The eight-year-old Nocum used a pitching wedge to drive the ball straight into the 7th hole of The Legends course, 70 yards from the tee off area which was adjusted for junior golf players participating in the three-day first leg of the Callaway event. Winners of the event will represent the country in the Callaway Junior World Golf Tournament in the US.

The ace by the incoming 3rd grader of the School of the Holy Spirit-Quezon City was witnessed by fellow jungolfers and siblings Luigi, Enzo and Annika Castro; and their coach Felix Fernando. Nocum is currently being trained by golf coach Juanito Pagunsan, father of Juvic.

Nocum, then 6, made her first ace during the practice round of the 2007 Callaway Junior World Golf Championships in Colina Golf Park Course in San Diego, California. Nocum landed 5th place in the world tournament.

Seven months later, Nocum aced the fourth hole at the Riviera Golf and Country Club Executive Course. She then used a three-wood when her ball hit the pin and landed straight into the par 105-yard hole.

About a month later on March 9, 2008, Nocum again aced Riviera’s Hole No. 4 during the Champions for the Future golf tournament. It was then that friends started calling her the “Muslim Ace”, a title she was proud of.

Ashia, who represents Zamboanga City and Sulu, has started showing interest in golf in her diapers at two years old; started hitting the driving range at four; and played in the fairways at five.

Nocum is the daughter of Armand Dean Nocum and Annora Sahi Nocum, a former reporter of the Philippine Inquirer and a Muslim entrepreneur, respectively.

            Ashia's 5th hole in one was witnessed by fellow junior golfers Sam Bruce, Mika Fortuna, Sophia Blanco and their parents. My only biggest regret was not being there, busy as I was with work. Of Ashia's aces, I only witnessed the first; while my wife Ann saw the four others.

               It is also regrettable that while Ashia's name is written in the "leader board" of those who made holes in one in the respective golf clubs where it happened, we also failed to document in video any of it.

             But to give you an idea of the excitement of making a hole in one, I am posting Tiger Wood's 19th ace. 
            Thank you Lord, our relatives and everyone who have been praying for Ashia's budding career in golf. If you want to read more about how how Ashia fell in love with golf, please go to this link (http://www.krislibrary.com/1/post/2012/04/ashia-marie-started-playing-golf-at-2-years-old-before-learning-to-talk.html ).

               A wonderful day to all!
2 Comments

Ashia Marie Started Playing Golf At 2 Years Old Before Learning to Talk

4/4/2012

2 Comments

 
Picture
                 Our kids come to us in different shapes, sizes and forms. It is up to us to discover their talents and develop them.

                In our case, our eldest child Arizza already showed mental spark at three years old when she surprised our visitors from Zamboanga one day by reciting the contents of the children’s book “101 Dalmatians” from from memory from cover to cover!  Arizza went on to graduate valedictorian in elementary school; with high honors at the Philippine Science High School (Pisay); and bagged a University of the Philippines Oblation scholarship by landing Top 7 among 60,000 examinees at the UP entrance exams or UPCAT.

                As for Ashia, she gave us a shock by not yet being able to speak at age 3! How I recall myself storming Heavens with prayers for Ashia to speak. I even asked all the Saints for forgiveness, thinking that my past indiscretion with women and other similar sins were catching up with me. Thinking I was getting “karmic justice”, I promised God to stop my womanizing ways!

                Ashia eventually got to speak after we got a UP speech therapist to help her. It turned our she was "confused by the mini-United Nations" in the house, that is what we refer to the practice of us in the family to speak English and Pilipino among ourselves; and Chavacano, Muslim and Visayan to relatives, the house-help and driver. Poor Ashia did not know what language to follow.

                However, amid her speech problem, she did excel in something at age 2 and that is to play with her plastic putter and golf balls. Indeed one of her first words was “dolp.” We started noticing her love for dolp – rather golf – when we saw her hitting her baby balls with rulers, sticks, old long mobile phones or any elongated objects she could find.

Picture
             She probably picked up the habit after seeing me hit golf balls on a net I set up in the backyard to save on money from going to the driving range. Actually, I was crazy with golf back then that I had another net set up on the third-floor roof deck in our house in Quezon City.

                It was also around this time when I brought Arizza to the driving range for her to learn to play golf. But Arizza, who was seven years old then, never learned to love the game. She was then – as now – more into reading.

                But what Arizza rejected, Ashia picked up and so from age three to five, she started going with me to the driving range and putting greens to play golf. She loved the game so much that she cried buckets when she sees me in short and going out to play in the fairways and I can’t take her along. She cries too when I arrive home from playing golf and she would begrudge me for not bringing her along.

                At age five, we learned about the Junior Golf Foundation of the Philippines (JGFP) which was helping develop the talent of young golfers. We got her to participate in the organization’s regular tournaments at Riviera Golf Executive Course in Silang, Cavite. In the tee-off during her first tournament and in front of so many people – some of them my friends or people who knew me as an investigative reporter of the Philippine Daily Inquirer – Ashia missed hitting her ball.

                Instead of clapping of hands following the good shots of experienced junior golfers, there was silence followed by muffled laughter and snickers from some of the kids and people in the audience. I thought I would melt in the noonday sun in shame. But Ashia held her ground a played on.   

Picture
                 After that, we finally got a golf pro to help her. The first thing the golf pro did was to make her “unlearn” all the bad golf swing habits she got from me, a bad golfer myself hehe! Finally learning the principles of the proper and right golf swing, Ashia joined the qualifying tournament of the 2007 Callaway Junior World Golf Championships in Colina Golf Park Course in San Diego, California.

                And at age 6, she qualified to be one of the Philippine representatives to the world famous Callaway Jr World Golf Championship. Founded in 1968, the tournament brings together junior golfers from 7 countries all over the world. It is in this tournament where the careers of golfing greats Phil Mickelson, Amy Alcott, and Tiger Woods were launched.

                Again, in spite of my fatal mistake to serve as her caddy during the game – instead of hiring a competent one from the US as other players did – and again infecting her with the wrong way of playing golf, Ashia managed to land Top 5 over several players from the US, Japan, China, Malaysia and many other countries.

                Best of all, she made a name for being one of the two Philippine players to make a hole-in-one at the Colina Golf Park Course in San Diego, California. She hit a three-wood to bring the ball straight into the hole of the 125-yard green.

Picture
                 Seven months later, Ashia aced the fourth hole during a tournament of the PJGF at the Riviera Golf and Country Club Executive Course. She then used a three-wood when her ball hit the pin and landed straight into the par 105-yard hole.

                About a month later on March 9, 2008, Ashia made her third hole-in-one in yet another tournament Riviera’s Hole No. 4 during the Champions for the Future golf tournament. It was then that friends started calling her the “Muslim Ace”, a title she was proud of as the country’s only Muslim junior golfer who plays in national and international tournaments.

                In April 2009, Ashia made made her fourth hole-in-one with the use of a pitching wedge to drive the ball straight into the 7th hole of The Legends course at Southwoods Golf and Country Clube, 70 yards from the tee off area which was adjusted for junior golf players participating in the three-day first leg of the Callaway Callaway Junior World Golf Tournament. In the same tournament, Ashia also got the slot to again represent RP in the US Callaway world tournament.

                Ashia’s 4th ace was witnessed by fellow jungolfers and siblings Luigi, Enzo and Annika Castro. She was then being trained by golf coach Juanito Pagunsan, father of the former junior golfer and now one of Asia’s respected golfer Juvic Pagunsan.

                   Hitting a hole in one-in-one is so hard that the odds against is 1 in 45,000 and few people can actually do it.


Picture
                 In June of the same year, Ashia also won the US Kids Golf tournament, thus gaining the chance to represent the Philippines in US Kids World Championship and the US Teens Championship in Pinehurst, North Carolina.

                We recall all these as we see Ashia again playing and winning ICTSI-BCC Junior Open Championship in Baguio where she battled Koreans who were more familiar with the challenging green of the Baguio Country Club golf course in her first time to play there.

                This is the bitter-sweet tale of our little girl who learned to play “dolp” in diapers and before she learned to talk. Indeed, with our kids, we really just have to work hard at helping them discover their talents and skills and not make them follow one another or expect them to be what their siblings are. In our case, we already saw early on how Arizza's academic achievements will somehow make make Ashia insecure so we also worked hard to help Ashia excel in her own talent.

                Now, Ashia and Arizza support each others' careers and are each others' big fans!

                We can't wait to see what kind of talent God has give our 10-month old baby Arno. Just in case, we already bought a P105.00 golf plastic golf set for him. 

Picture
Picture
Picture
Ashia with American, Mexican and Asian junior golfer during the 2007 Callaway Junior World Gold Championships where Asia made her first hole-in-one and landed Top Five in the world. Months later, she made her second and third hole-in-ones in the Riviera Executive Course in Cavite. She made her fourth hole in one before tuning 8.
Picture
Ashia posing shyly with the country's golfing greats to include Cyna Rodriguez and Dottie Ardina during the 2007 US Kids World Golf Championships in Colina Park Course in San Diego.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
2 Comments
    Picture

    Author

    I'm Armand Dean Nocum, a former journalist (Philippine Daily Inquirer)-turned blogger/social entrepreneur with a "bionic heart" following an angio-plasty operation in 2010. Having stared death in the face, I now strive to live my "bonus life" by doing things that I hope will improve the lives of my fellow Filipinos, if not the world. In this corner -- Dean's Office -- I intend to discuss issues that affect my desire to improve the lives of poor Christian and Muslim kids through our Kris Library literacy advocacy. If you feel my views have helped you see issues or the world in a better light, please forward my blog entry to friends or post it in your FB walls to help us spread the word about the joys and rewards of sharing and giving.Thank you for reading.

    free counters

     

    Archives

    September 2015
    January 2015
    January 2014
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    March 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011

    Picture
    Picture

    Categories

    All
    000 Deaths In Mindanao War
    1996 Pork Barrel Scam In Philippine Congress
    40 Year War 150
    9/11 Twin Tower Tragedy 2001
    Abu Sayyaf
    Abu Sayyaf And The Environment
    Alfie Smith
    American War On Terrorism
    America Super Cop
    America Super Power
    Ampatuan
    Angiogram
    Angioplasty
    Angioplasty Operation
    Anton Lim Yellow Boat Foundation
    Arizza Ann Nocum
    " Arizza Nocum At The Louvre Museum In France
    Arizza Nocum Youth Category Winner Cobra Pinoy Heroes Award
    Armand Dean Nocum
    Ashia\\
    Ashia Makes 4 Hole In One / Aces
    Ashia Nocum's 6th Hole-in-one
    Ashia Wins Us Kids Golf Championship
    Asian Institute Of Management
    Ateneo De Zamboanga University Students
    Baptism Of Baby Arno Armand Dean Nocum Ii
    Basic Human Rights
    Basilan
    Basilica Of Agony
    Bayanihan Spirit In Zambo Sibugay
    Bedol
    Best Decision To Make Change Happen Not Wait For Change
    Best Decision To Save Trees
    Best Food In Israel
    Best Golf Gift
    Best Holy Land Pilgrimage
    Bias Against Muslim In The Internet
    Birthday Gilf
    Bombs And Rocket Attacks In Bethlehem
    Bonus Life
    Book Donations
    Book Donations In Facebook
    Book Reading Month
    Books
    Book Sharing
    Bridging Gap Between Rich And Poor
    Callaway Junior Golf World Tournament
    Canadian Embassy To The Philippines
    Cancer
    Capsaicin
    Challenges In Putting Up Kris
    Chilie Cure
    Chinese Invasion Of The Philippines
    Chines Work Ethics
    Christian And Muslim Mix Marriage
    Christian-Muslim Marriage
    Church Of All Nations
    Church Of Nativity In Palestine
    Ciudad De Zamboanga
    Claret
    Claret Mission Center
    Climate Change
    Cnn Hero Of The Year Efren Penaflorida
    Cobra Energy Drink
    Cobra Pinoy Heroes 2013 Award
    Colon Cancer
    Commission From Pork Barrel
    Communications Secretary Sonny Coloma
    Congressional Initiative Allocation
    Congressional Initiative Allocation (CIA)
    Corporate Greed
    Corporate Social Responsibility Projects
    Cost Of War In Mindanao
    Councilor Cristina Kring Kring Gonzalez
    Countrywide Development Fund
    Countrywide Development Fund (CDF)
    Crossing Israel And Palestine
    Crown Of Thorns
    Csr
    Dan Brown
    Dangers To Tourist Visit Israel
    Death
    Deforestation And Floods
    Department Of Tourism
    Did Jesus Eat Tilapia
    Diether "Diet" Ocampo
    Diet's Birthday On Simply KC
    Do Muslims Believe In Jesus Christ? Who Is Jesus Christ In Islam
    Donating Private Libraries To Kris Library
    Dr. Anacleto B. Millendez
    Dr. Ramoncito Tria
    Ely Buendia Of Eraserheads
    Empire State Building
    English Speaking Union Search For The Philipine Representative To The International Public Speaking Competition 2012
    Enjoy The Thrill Of Helping Thru Kris Library
    Enteng Yangco Jr
    Facebook Helping Raise Funds For Poor Kids
    Facebook Helping Tourism
    Father-Daughter Bonding
    February Heart Month
    Fight Against A Greedy World
    Fight For Democracy In Libya Does Not End With Gaddafi
    First Gentleman Mike Arroyo
    Fishes At The Sea Of Galilee
    Food Attractions
    Forest Destruction
    Forrest Gump
    Free Ecg Angiogram Tests
    Fr. Larry
    Fr. Larry Miranda
    Fund Raising Drive For Typhoon Yolanda
    Future Of The Youth
    Gago At The Impeachment Hearing
    Garden Of Gethsemane
    George Herbert Leigh Mallory Mystery
    Giving Until The End
    GMA 7's Susan Enriquez
    Going To Jordan Israel Egypt Palestine & Dubai
    Golfing Capital Of America
    Golf Injury
    Golf & Sports For Character Development
    Gov't-MILF Framework Agreement For Peace
    Greatest Story Of Selflessness And Sacrifice
    Ground Zero Memorial
    Hamas - Led Palestine
    Happiness
    Happy Birthday
    Health Food Satti
    Heart
    Heart Problem
    Heart Stents
    Helping Raise Generous And Well-Balanced Kids
    Helping The Sick
    Heroes Bleed Too
    Hole-in-One More Of Luck
    Hole-in-One-Record
    Holy Week
    Hot Satti
    How To Make Hole-in-one
    How To Save Trees
    How To Spend A Debut Party
    How To Teach Kids About Generosity
    How To Win Youth Awards
    Humane Treatment
    Ictsi
    Importance Of Reading
    Informal Settlers
    Inspiring Story
    Instilling Discipline & Love Of Country
    International Container Terminal Services Inc
    International School Of Manila
    Ischemia
    Israel-Palestine Wall
    Israel Palestine War
    Jason Co
    Jesse Robredo
    Jesus Christ Agony In The Garden
    Journey Of A Lifetime
    Jungolfer Ashia Nocum On Gma 7 Tv
    Junior Golf Association Of The Philippines
    Junior Golfer
    Junior Golfer Ashia Mari Nocum
    Junior Golfer Makes 5 Holes In One
    Kalarian Golf Course
    Kapatirang Claretiano Inc.
    Kc Concepcion
    Kci
    KCI-Kris Typhoon Sendong Relief Mission
    Keep The Level Of Hate Low In Facebook
    Kidnappers
    Kissing The Silver Star In The Birthplace Of Jesus Christ
    Kris
    Kris Donation
    Kris Donors
    Kris Library
    Kris Library At Ako Mismo
    Kris Library At Aksyon 5
    Kris Library Conduit For Giving
    Kris Library In Bangkal
    Kris Library In Bulacan
    Krispy Kreme
    Kristiyano-Islam Peace Library
    Kris Volunteers Wanted
    Lack Of Libraries
    Law Of Karma
    Layag Layag Children
    Little Aisha
    Living And Giving
    Long Putt
    Love Of Books
    Lubigan
    Magic Of Books
    Mangrove
    Marshall Mcluhan Prize For Investigative Journalism
    Master Cheng Yen
    Max 's Fried Chicken & Restaurant
    May 2013 Elections
    Metro Manila Floods
    Milf
    Minority Leader Ronaldo Zamora
    Miracle Food Satti
    Mixing Love For Books And Exotic Foods
    Mix Religion Marriage
    Mnlf Chair Nur Misuari
    Mon Tulfo Vs Claudine Barreto & Raymart Santiago
    Mood Swings
    More Fun In The Philippines
    Moro Islamic Liberation Front
    Moro National Liberation Front
    Moro National Liberation Front Attack Zamboanga City
    Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF
    Mount Of Olives
    Ms Purita Haboc
    Ms Shamcey Supsup
    Murder And Redemption
    National Commission For The Culture And Arts
    National Library Of The Philippines
    National September 11 Memorial
    New Zealanders Help Sendong Victims
    Ngo Helping Ngo
    Ngos Cannot Survive On Donations Alone
    NLP Dir. Anotnio M. Santos
    No Debut Cotillion Party For Kris Administrator
    North Carolina
    No Shoes
    Not Best Time To Visit Holy Land
    Npa Child Soldier
    Ofws In Israel
    Oga Natividad
    Old Books
    Oldest Church In Holy Land
    P50 Billion Loses In Zamboanga City Attack
    Pagkaing Apoy
    Pain Of Helping
    Panic Attack
    Passion For Golf
    Pcso
    Peace And Order Problem In Mindanao
    People Donate Due To Internet
    Pepper Cures Cancer
    Philippine Daily Inquirer And Pork Barrel
    Philippine Heart Center
    Philippine House Of Representatives
    Philippine Indepndence Day
    Philippine Librarians Association Inc4356b56e6d
    Philippine Squatters
    Poor Schools
    Pork Barrel Funds
    Prada Hermes Gucci4486460bc5
    Prayers And Miracles
    President Fidel V Ramos46830126bb
    President Fidel V Ramos And Pork Barrel75317f6676
    Priority Assistance Development Fund Pdafb5205b3b9f
    Prof Gaby Mendoza8a22301c62
    Project Pearl
    Promoting Bookreadinge4d8daad21
    Public Relations
    Rags To Riches Story
    Raising Young Patriots
    Rays Of Hope For Mindanao
    Reading
    Reflecting Pools In September 11 Memorial
    Religion Or Love Pilipinos Will Not Change Religion For Love6d610ee4e5
    Relocation Sites
    Rep Romeo Candazo And Pork Barrel9738faeb89
    Reputation Management
    Rich And Poor
    Rotary International Manila Philippines
    Rubber Capital
    Satti
    Satti Bottle To Battle Terrorism And Rebellion In Mindanao
    Satti Food In You Tube
    Satti Funds For Kris Scholars
    Satti Funds For Little Kids
    Satti Funds For Zambo Kids
    Satti Grill House In Sm Fairview
    Satti Hangover Cure
    Satti Hangover Killer
    Satti Hot Chili Peanut Ketchup
    Saving The Trees
    Scarborough Shoal
    School Of The Holy Spirit
    Sea Foods In Mindanao
    Seize The Day
    Senator Joker Arroyo
    Senator Manuel "Lito" Lapid
    Sendong
    Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago
    Sharing Across The Seas
    Sharing And Caring During Birthday
    Sharing Between Schools
    Shish Kebab
    Sitti Nurhanina Bahasuan
    Skyscraper Empire State Building
    Social Entrepreneurship For Ngos
    Social Entreprise
    Social Media And Traditional Media
    Speaker Jose De Venecia Jr.
    Spratly Islands
    Stents
    St. Luke's Hospital
    Success Story
    Sulu
    Tacloban Mayor Alfred Romualdez
    Tallest Building In The World
    Tawi-Tawi
    Teaching A Man To Fish
    The Swiss Lion Monument
    Tilapia And The Holy Bible
    Trauma From Floods
    Tribute & Gift To Mothers
    Tungawan
    Tuwid Na Daan
    Two-Year-Old Junior Golfer
    Typhoon Yolanda
    Tzu Chi Foundation
    Urban Congestion
    Used Computers Needed
    Used Computers Wanted
    Us Kids Junior Golf Tournament
    Valentine's Day On News To Go TV
    Vergeil D. Enriquez
    Volunteer Work
    Wang-Wang At Tuwid Na Daan
    Wang-Wang Blinkers And Sirens
    Wanted Ngo Worker
    War In The Internet
    What To Eat In The Holy Land
    Why Climb Mount Everest
    Women Power
    World Read Aloud Day
    World Trade Center Complex New York
    Youth Power
    Zamboanga City
    Zamboanga Golf And Country Club
    Zamboanga Hermosa Festival
    Zamboanga Sibugay
    Zonta International
    Zonta International Young Women For Public Affairs (YWPA) Award

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.