Filipino athletes shine on global stage

From golf greens to gymnastic mats, from volleyball courts to track and field stadiums, Filipino athletes are making waves in international sports like never before.

- By SONNY COLOMA

The recent historic victory of JJ Spaun (full name John Michael Spaun, Jr.) in the US Open Golf Championship has made the Filipino sporting community jubilant.

According to media sources, his father, John Michael Spaun Sr., is an American of European origin, and his mother, Dollie (née Rigor), is of Filipino and Mexican descent. His mother's paternal grandparents, now based in California, hail from Victoria, Tarlac, and speak Ilocano.

His success is reminiscent of past victories by fellow Fil-Japanese golfer Yuka Saso, who has brought home the US Women’s Open crown twice — in 2021 and 2024 — and Allisen Corpuz, who captured the same title in 2023. Both ‘women brought honor to the Philippines, which they have proudly acknowledged as part of their heritage.

In the junior circuit, rising star Rianne Malixi has shown promise of a bright future. In 2024, she won both the US Girls’ Junior and the US Women’s Amateur in the same year, becoming only the second athlete to accomplish this twin triumphs.