You have seen me with the Ryder Cup in Spain (at right). And you have seen me with the US Open trophy at Pebble Beach (below). So you know that I am quite familiar with the laurels of the game. And you also know that Manny Pacquiao is an extraordinarily successful boxer who wins championships every time he steps into the ring.
But you may not quite have a grasp on the uncanny similarity between my golf and Pacquiao’s boxing. Please let me explain. We can use my recent (and widely lauded) appearance in the Chairman’s Cup tournament at Boracay, held at the same time as Pacquiao’s recent (and widely lauded) appearance against the woefully overmatched Antonio Margarito, as a prime example of this uncanny similarity.
Pacquiao has a history of holding the championships in his sport; I have a history of holding the championship trophies in my sport. Pacquiao trained for his most recent fight at the northern Philippine city of Baguio; I trained for my most recent tournament at the northern Philippine city of Baguio.
Baguio is noted for its high elevation, its pine trees, and its salubrious climate. Pacquiao trains here, albeit with many distractions, and so do I, also with many distractions. I find the low oxygen levels at this high altitude help with my aerobic conditioning. I also enjoy playing golf at Camp John Hay with its speedy creeping bentgrass greens. You see me here with my sparring partners during a hard-fought match at Camp John Hay.
Before his fights, Pacquiao moves his training camp nearer to sea level and the actual location of the fight itself. So do I.
After the grueling camp at Baguio, I spent less than a day at Manila before moving my training camp to Boracay. Many doubted the wisdom of this decision (but when you read part 2 of this quadracious story I’m sure you will have no more doubt). There was particular concern about the weather at Boracay, which turned out to be incredibly sunny, although many critics were expecting rain. The greens here, as you can see, were impeccable, and my game came into fine form. If I did have a trainer, I’m sure he would have predicted a victory (this is a a subtle foreshadowing of an amazing victory!), but for those who do not know the full story, you must unfortunately wait for part 2.