1 week Ago By Tempo Desk
LAUREL, Batangas – The race for supremacy in the 11-14 division of the ICTSI Splendido Taal Junior PGT Championship turned into a thrilling showdown, as early Luzon series winners clashed in a high-stakes battle for top honors in blustery conditions here on Monday, April 28. Ryuji Suzuki weathered two late bogeys but held his nerve to card a 77 at the up-and-down Splendido Taal Golf Club, seizing a slender one-shot lead over Vito Sarines in a gripping display of young golfing talent. Suzuki, who dominated at Eagle Ridge where Sarines finished tied for third, seemed on track to build a commanding lead in the 36-hole tournament after shooting two birdies against two bogeys with three holes left coming in.
However, bogeys on the seventh and ninth holes forced him to settle for a 37-40 round, keeping Sarines – who beat Suzuki by five shots at Sherwood Hills – well within striking distance after posting a 78, highlighted by two birdies on the back nine. Jacob Casuga, who stayed close to the frontrunners early on, faltered with a frontside 42 for an 84, dropping seven shots behind Suzuki. Meanwhile, Matthias Espina and Ryuichi Tao turned in matching 86s, and Robert Coyiuto scored a 92.
Suzuki lamented his struggles on the greens, citing costly errors. “I could’ve played better if not for two four-putts,” said Suzuki, who remains well-positioned for another leg win. “Anything can happen here, but I hope to hit a lot of fairways tomorrow (Tuesday).
Because if you don’t, most likely you’ll end up with a bogey,” he added. The battle for the girls’ plum in the same age group also came down to a shootout, as twin sisters Lisa and Mona Sarines turned in identical 78s with matching 38-40 nines to lead Alexie Gabi by five strokes. Lisa, who swept the first two legs at Eagle Ridge and Sherwood Hills, had to birdie the final hole (No.
9) to catch Mona, who is determined to end her sister’s early domination of the seven-stage series that stakes ranking points for spots in the North vs South finals. “My game wasn’t great today (Monday) – I struggled to get my drives on the fairways,” rued Lisa, who carded five bogeys and two double bogeys against three birdies. “I made some birdies, but I just couldn’t really get my game going.
” Looking ahead to the final round, Lisa added: “I need to hit it straight, keep my shots on the fairways, and go for the greens. My goal is to score better than 78, maybe around 3-over or better.” Mona, meanwhile, admitted she also had her share of struggles.
“My game wasn’t really good either. I didn’t have any birdies, but at least I avoided double bogeys. I know I can do better,” she said.
To improve and finally nail the elusive win, Mona said she plans to sharpen her iron play and vowed to give her best in the final 18 holes. Gabi birdied the last hole to save an 83 while Kendra Garingalao struggled with an 87 and Eliana Dumalaog posted a 91. In separate flights, Mavis Espedido edged out Winter Serapio in a spirited duel under tough conditions, carding a frontside 41 for an 80 to seize a one-stroke lead in the girls’ 7-10 division.
The Anvaya Cove standout moved a step closer to a third straight victory in the Luzon series of the nationwide circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. but is bracing for a shootout with Serapio in Tuesday’s final round of the 36-hole tournament. Serapio stayed within striking distance after grinding out a gritty 81 to keep the pressure on the back-to-back leg winner.
“My game wasn’t very good because I had a lot of bogeys, a double bogey, and even a triple bogey,” said Espedido, who, however, offset her miscues with three birdies that proved crucial in securing the opening round honors. Penelope Sy stood in a distant third after an 87, while Tyra Garingalao and Amiya Tablac turned in 97 and 104, respectively. Yet with the punishing conditions, even a two- or three-stroke lead could vanish in a single hole, keeping the race wide open.
Zoji Edoc surged ahead in the boys’ youngest age group, steadying himself with a scrambling frontside finish to topple Michael Ray Hortel II with a gutsy 85 and seize a commanding four-stroke lead. Trailing by two after a backnine-opening 43, Edoc closed with a 42, highlighted by pars on the last two holes. Meanwhile, Hortel, who impressed early with a 41 in an earlier group, faltered with a 48, marred by a triple bogey, double bogey, and a bogey-bogey finish, slipping to an 89.
Zach Guico turned in consistent 45s for a 90, five strokes behind Edoc, whom he edged by one stroke at Eagle Ridge previously. Asher Abad and Kenzo Tan matched 94s, while Halo Pangilinan carded a 95. “There’s no pressure, but I need to focus and stay relaxed to win again,” said Edoc.
In the premier category (15-18), Zach Villaroman fired a gutsy 72 to seize a three-stroke lead over Shinichi Suzuki, setting his sights on a title breakthrough in the 54-hole tournament following back-to-back third-place finishes at Eagle Ridge and Sherwood Hills. Villaroman broke a birdie-bogey run on the back nine with two birdies in the first three holes of the front nine to take solo control. Despite bogeys on Nos.
4 and 5, he stayed firmly atop the leaderboard as Suzuki, the Eagle Ridge winner, struggled to match Villaroman’s backside 36, settling for a 39 to finish with a 75. Suzuki ended the day tied for second with Jose Carlos Taruc, who also squandered a solid backside 36 with a 39. Geoffrey Tan turned in an 81 for fourth place, while Rafael Mañalol posted an 83.
Miguel Espartero, Bien Fajardo, and Dean See all carded matching 84s. In the girls’ 15-18 division, Rafa Anciano fueled her bid for a second straight victory after avenging her previous loss to Eagle Ridge tormentor Levonne Talion at Sherwood Hills last week. She soared to a commanding 17-stroke lead over Angelica Bañez despite struggling with the conditions and posting a wind-blown 83.
“My driving was actually pretty okay, but the winds were really tough to deal with,” said Anciano, who battled through numerous bunker visits due to swirling gusts, even after an early tee time. “It was really windy, and I ended up playing a lot of bunker shots and taking extra strokes. That’s where I got most of my double bogeys and bogeys – that’s why I couldn’t score as well as I wanted,” she said.
Despite five bogeys and three double bogeys leading to an 11-over round, Anciano still managed to establish a huge advantage in the 54-hole tournament, as Bañez struggled even more in the harsh conditions, carding an error-strewn 100..
