Benjamin Arda (Golf) is the 3rd Hall of Fame Awards Enshrinee.
- 16 World Cup of Golf Appearances
- 9 Asian Circuit Golf Wins (1963, 1967, 1970, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 19790
- 4 Japan Golf Tour Wins (1973, 1976, 1977)
- 3 Philippine Open Wins (1961, 1963, 1979)
Born on June 3, 1929, Ben Arda’s legacy in the golf scene started when he worked as a caddie for the Cebu Country Club (CCC).
In his off-hours, Ben would hit the golf course and would train persistently with a mission to become one of the greatest Filipino golfers to ever play the sport, alongside golf champion Celestino Tugot.
The mere 5’4” Arda or “Bantam Ben” as people would call him, became the first Filipino golfer to qualify in both US Masters and British Open.
Bantam Ben won the Japan Golf Tour four times and totaled nine Asian Golf Circuit wins including the prestigious Philippine Open three times in 1961, 1963, and 1979.
He also appeared in the 16 World Cup of Golf throughout his entire career from 1956 to 1977.
After retirement, the Cebuano veteran shared his expertise on the sport, becoming a regular trainer at the Alabang Country Club.
In honor of his perseverance and achievements, Ben was inducted into the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Hall of Fame in 2004 and joined the third enshrinement of the Philippine Sports Hall of Fame in 2018.
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