TRECE MARTIRES, Cavite – Battling sweltering heat and the punishing layout of Sherwood Hills, Race Manhit and Georgina Handog seized control of their respective divisions, while Tristan Padilla sustained his red-hot form in the opening round of the ICTSI Sherwood Hills Junior PGT Championship on Monday.
Manhit fired a solid 71 to grab the early lead in the boys' 11-14 division over Summit Point winner Vito Sarines, who stumbled with a 75. Jose Luis Espinosa turned in a 76, while Baguio leg champion Javie Bautista and Malarayat winner Chan Ahn faltered with 77 and 79, respectively.
Handog fights back
Handog, meanwhile, delivered one of the grittiest rounds of the day in the girls’ 11-14 category, mixing three birdies with four bogeys for a 73 and a four-shot lead over Aerin Chan, who highlighted her round with an eagle on the par-4 No. 10 but settled for a 77. Summit Point winner Cailey Gonzales sputtered with a 78 to join Ronee Dungca and Kay Mauricio third heading into the final round.
A disqualification, however, overshadowed action in the boys’ 7-10 division as Asher Abad signed an incorrect scorecard, recording a birdie instead of a par on No. 1. Abad had originally carded a 68, which gave him a two-shot lead over Zach Guico, but concerns arose due to a discrepancy on that hole.
Following a review and interviews, it was confirmed that an error had been made in recording the score, resulting in his disqualification.
That enabled Guico to move up the leaderboard with a 70 as he now stands 18 holes away from securing his second leg victory after his win at Summit Point.
With just 18 holes left, both Manhit and Handog stand on the brink of breakthrough victories, underscoring the depth and shifting balance of power in this year’s premier junior circuit – a six-leg series across Luzon and Visayas-Mindanao culminating in the Elite Junior Finals in September.
In the girls’ 7-10 division, Winter Serapio overpowered Summit Point tormentor Andrea Dee with a brilliant 71 to open a nine-shot lead. Dee never recovered from a disastrous quadruple bogey start and limped home with an 80, while Jehanne Mendoza shot an 81 for third.
Meanwhile, the fourth leg of the JPGT Visayas-Mindanao Series unfolds Tuesday (May 5) at Pueblo de Oro Golf and Country Club in Cagayan de Oro.
Leading the charge is Davao’s Ethan Lago, who is eyeing a fourth consecutive victory after sweeping the Mactan, Alta Vista and Del Monte legs in the boys’ 7-10 division.
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