SAN DIEGO, Calif. — Regan de Guzman is the only openly gay Filipina golfer with a full LPGA Tour card for 2017. She finished T14 and low amateur qualifier at the 2016 LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament. De Guzman becomes only the fourth Filipina to earn full LPGA Tour membership card status and the first after graduating from college.
De Guzman will play in the Kia Classic at Park Hyatt Aviara Resort in Carlsbad, Calif., March 23 through 26.Other stops on her inaugural LPGA tour include Lotte Championship in Oahu, Hawaii, ShopRite LPGA Classic in Galloway, New Jersey, before ending in Cambia in Portland, Oregon. The Filipino-American Chamber of Commerce of San Diego County will be hosting a welcome reception for De Guzman March 30 to support her in her rookie year.
De Guzman is an accomplished amateur and collegiate golfer, playing four seasons at San Jose State University under Coach John Dorman and graduating in May 2016 with a degree in Communications Studies despite having a learning disability. De Guzman locked in the number one player spot for the Spartans in all her four years and was selected as Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Rookie of the Year and All-Conference team member. This also includes three-year Mountain West All Conference team selection. De Guzman spearheaded the Spartans to the NCAA National Championships as a freshman and led the individual tournament after the first round. De Guzman finished her collegiate career as one of the best in school history with 14 top 10 finishes and 22 top 20 finishes and a 73.84 stroke average over 113 rounds. De Guzman was the tour winner in the NWGA Sun Coast Tour and a Cactus Tour Campaigner.
De Guzman enjoys playing the guitar and piano. She is a certified scuba diver and plays billiards. De Guzman aspires to empower youth in golf in her home country of the Philippines and abroad. De Guzman, no stranger to hard work, graduated with a full golf scholarship during her junior and senior years at San Jose State and overcame bullying as an openly gay woman. She believes that her story of grit, perseverance and sheer will to overcome any obstacle with laser focus will inspire other young women to unabashedly pursue their dreams and goals.
