Rookie mistake costs Palanca US Kids European Championship crown

Filipino junior golfer Carlos Philippe Winsett Palanca committed a usual rookie mistake by arriving late for his tee-off and paid dearly for it as he finished fourth in the US Kids European Championship played at the Longnidry Golf Club in Edinburgh, Scotland. Palanca was slapped a maximum of 10 strokes for that error. Under US Kids rules, players late to tee are not disqualified but are assessed 10 strokes each for every hole they missed. When he was allowed to join the final flight, he missed the first hole but scored a two-under 30 in the last eight. He could have easily won the crown if not for that tee-time mix up which according to his mother and coach Sylvia Torres, who mentored her ward to the boys’ Under-7 age group crown last year, never knew of an adjustment on the starting times. Digjav Gill, an American kid of Indian descent, won the title. He shot a four-under 32 for 105, beating France’s Debore Quentin and Jake Craddock of the United Kingdom by two. Palanca's 40 put him in a tie with UK’s Lewis Brown at 108 in the 32-player field. The top five finish got Philippe an invitation to the U.S. Kids Golf World Championships at Pinehurst Golf Club, in North Carolina, in August. Palanca beat Craddock and Kian Luke Rose by a mere stroke last year, an inspiring feat that won him a citation from the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA). – JVP/Adrian Flores, GMANews.TV