DAVAO City – Denise Mendoza cooled off after an astonishing opening round but still wrapped up a commanding 32-stroke triumph in the girls’ 7-10 division in the ICTSI South Pacific Junior PGT Championship on Thursday.
Following her startling first-round 64, spiked by eight backside birdies, the 10-year-old Cebuana slowed down with 77 but remained untouchable, clinching the crown with a 36-hole total of three-under 141 at the South Pacific Golf and Residential Estates course.
With a huge 23-shot cushion heading into the final round, Mendoza played pressure-free golf. Her performance was more than enough to beat Del Monte leg winner Soleil Molde by a staggering 32 shots.
Molde carded an 86, salvaging some highlight with a pitch-in eagle on the par-4 17th, but still finished well behind Mendoza at 173. Francesca Geroy struggled with a 93 to place third at 184.
Sharing the spotlight was Cagayan de Oro’s Jamie Barnes, who continued his unbeaten run in the boys’ youngest division, sweeping his third straight tournament in commanding fashion. After a five-shot win at Del Monte and a nine-stroke rout at Pueblo de Oro, the nine-year-old phenom outclassed Cebu’s Kvan Alburo by 14 strokes, finishing with a 144 total after a 73.
Alburo, who also won the Match Play crown last year, shot a 78 to snare second place at 158, as Miguel Revilleza struggled with an 82 and slipped to third at 161.
Tamayo makes it a double
In the girls’ 11-14 division, also played over 36 holes, South Cotabato’s Brittany Tamayo secured her second Vis-Min leg victory with a 76 for a 145 total, holding off Del Monte leg winner Kimberly Baroquillo by three strokes.
Baroquillo tried to mount a comeback, trimming a seven-shot deficit with three birdies in her first 10 holes. But a bogey on the 11th halted her charge, and she settled for a 72 and a 148. Zuri Bagaloyos finished third at 153 after a 75.
Tamayo, meanwhile, weathered a day-long struggle on the greens. Her overnight seven-shot lead proved just enough to withstand Baroquillo’s final-round charge and preserve the win.
Completing South Cotabato’s sweep of the 11-14 titles, Jared Saban turned in a dominant performance in the boys’ division, firing a closing even-par 72 for a 146 total to beat Ken Guillermo by nine strokes.
Saban, son of touring pro Elmer Saban, birdied Nos. 1 and 12 to offset bogeys on Nos. 4 and 17, finally clinching a breakthrough win after back-to-back third-place finishes in Mactan and Del Monte. He skipped the Pueblo de Oro leg.
The battle for the premier 15-18 division titles also appears all but over, with the leaders pulling away from the field.
Davao’s Adrian Bisera stormed back from three strokes down with a superb three-under 69, highlighted by an eagle-3 on the par-5 No. 2, to seize control in the boys’ 15-18 division of the 54-hole event organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.
Bisera’s strong performance propelled him past a faltering AJ Wacan, who skidded with a 78 after a lead-grabbing 72 and dropped to third at 150, now six shots behind the new leader heading into the final round.
Crista Miñoza inched closer to a breakthrough win after a string of near-misses, firing a one-under 71 to grab a commanding five-shot lead in the girls’ division heading into the 18 holes.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
