STA. ROSA, Laguna – Johanna Uyking delivered a stunning eagle on the challenging No. 18 to cap a roller-coaster round, grabbing the lead in the girls’ 13-14 division of the USwing Mojing Junior World Qualifying at The Country Club on Wednesday.
Despite struggling in windy conditions, Uyking leaned on her exceptional driving to card a 77 and a two-shot advantage over Precious Zaragosa, who settled for a 79 after a late stumble.
“I drove the ball pretty straight today (Wednesday), which helped a lot,” said the 13-year-old Uyking, a student at Davao Christian High School. But it was her spectacular 3-wood approach from 190 yards into a headwind on the par-4 18th that proved to be the highlight, as the ball found the hole for an eagle-2.
TCC a daunting test
TCC, notorious for its punishing layout and ever-changing gusts, made for a true test of skill and resilience. With its length, hazards and undulating greens, par often felt like a birdie, and the young contenders had to treat every shot as a calculated risk.
Uyking’s round was far from perfect, marred by six bogeys and a double bogey on the tight par-4 fourth. However, a birdie on No. 8 and her miraculous eagle on 18 kept her ahead.
“I’ll be working on my chipping and putting to avoid giving myself a hard time in the next two rounds,” she said, aware that the battle was far from over.
Zaragosa, last year’s Junior Philippine Golf Tour (JPGT) Match Play champion, also managed an eagle on the par-5 eighth but struggled with four bogeys in her first five holes at the front. A closing bogey on No. 9 pushed her two strokes behind Uyking.
Meanwhile, twins Lisa and Mona Sarines remained within striking distance with rounds of 80 and 82, respectively, while Kendra Garingalao and Tiffany Bernardino found themselves needing a major comeback after posting 89 and 94, respectively.
While the girls’ division saw dramatic swings, the boys’ competition was just as intense. Ralph Batican showcased steady composure in the boys’ 13-14 category, also finishing with a 77 to wrest a three-stroke lead over David Teves (80) in the three-day event organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.
Zianbeau Edoc followed with an 82, while Lujo Gomez and Mico Ungco posted identical 84s.
In the boys’ 15-18 division, Emilio Hernandez emerged as the early frontrunner, firing a 75 to secure a two-shot lead over Patrick Tambalque (77). Shinichi Suzuki and Jose Carlos Taruc stayed close with 78s, while Cliff Nuñeza, Tristan Padilla and Geoffrey Tan matched 79s.
Alessandra Luciano battled through a shaky front-nine finish but still emerged as the early leader in the girls’ 15-18 division, carding a 79 to take a two-shot advantage over Tashanah Balangauan, who posted an 81 late in the day.
Her flightmate Balangauan also endured a mixed round, opening with a front-nine 41 marred by a double bogey on No. 1. She managed to recover slightly with a birdie on the par-3 third, keeping herself within striking distance.
Junior PGT Finals champion Ally Gaccion slipped to third after an 83, struggling with two bogeys in her last three holes. Reese Ng turned in an 84, while Angelica Bañez and Anya Cedo finished with identical 86s.Further down the leaderboard, Montserrat Lapuz carded an 89, Lia Duque settled for a 90, and Crista Miñoza rounded out the top contenders with a 92.
With four berths in the Junior World Championship in San Diego this July on the line in each division, the competition is set to heat up over the next two rounds. The event not only awards crucial World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) points but also serves as a key battleground for junior golfers gearing up for the demanding 15-leg Junior PGT calendar.
A cut will be imposed after 36 holes, with only the top 10 in each division and those within six strokes of the fourth-place finisher advancing to the final round of the event supported by the National Golf Association, the MVP Sports Foundation, The Country Club, ICTSI, PLDT, and the Junior PGT.
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