SPOKANE, Wash. - Angela Erika De Villa from Taguig City, Philippines, has signed a letter-of-intent to attend Gonzaga University, head women's golf coach Brad Rickel announced Tuesday.
De Villa, who will be a spring graduate from International School Manila City, placed second in the 2011 Interscholastic Association of Southeast Asian Schools Tournament with rounds of 72-78 for 150. She placed eighth in the Junior Master's with a 36-hole score of 150 and captured the Sycuan Junior World Qualifier with a round of 74. She also played in the Callaway Junior World Golf Championships at Torrey Pines Golf Course - North Course, shooting 79-78-76.
This past summer she tied for fifth at the Phil Mickelson Junior Players Championship played at El Camino Country Club, Escondido Country Club and La Jolla Country Club with rounds of 76-78-76. She was one stroke out of fourth and six shots behind the medalist.
"Angela will add a tremendous amount to our program. Coming half way around the world from the Philippines, she needed to know Gonzaga was a good place for her. I am proud that Angela chose Gonzaga and I look forward to Gonzaga and Bulldog women's golf being her home away from home," Rickel said. "She is a great player. She reminds me very much of TJ (Kliebphipat) and Han (Wu). She has had much golf success on a national and international stage. Angela will continue helping us build our program with great athletes and students/"
She tied for second in the 2010 LA County/La Mirada Jr. Championship at even-par 71, one stroke behind the winner, placed seventh in the College Golf Combines with a 151 and won the Hank Haney Asian Circuit Qualifier with two rounds of 74 for a 148. De Villa tied for 12th in the Junior PGA Section Championship at the Morongo Golf Club at Tukwet Canyon - Champions course. In 2010 she also finished fifth in the 3rd Annual San Diego Junior Masters (Junior World Qualifier) with a 36-hole total of 155, three strokes out of third and seven shots off the lead.
De Villa is a veteran of the Junior Golf Foundation of the Philippines and was a consistent representative for her country in the Callaway Junior World since she was 7-years-old. She was named one of the top junior golfers in the Philippines, and this past season with team captain and MVP of her high school team. She flew to the U.S. every summer to compete against top amateur players to improve her game.
She plans to major in communication arts and has a 3.42 high school GPA.
Her sister, Deborah, played golf at Texas Tech University and was the 2006 Philippine Ladies Amateur Open champion and another sister Linnel played for Cal State San Marcos.
