ILOILO – John Rey Oro brushed off an early threat from twin brother John Paul with a scorching backside start, turning a narrow lead into a commanding six-stroke victory after an even-par 70 in the premier category of the ICTSI JPGT Iloilo Visayas Series on Thursday.
Rhiena Mae Sinfuego matched John Rey’s wire-to-wire triumph with an even more emphatic win in the girls’ 16-18 division of the first of three tournaments in the region organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. She carded an 88, amassing a four-day total of 356 at the Iloilo Golf Club.
John Rey, 17, turned up the heat on the back nine of the challenging layout, transforming a two-stroke edge into a five-shot advantage with back-to-back birdies from No. 10. In contrast, John Paul faltered with a bogey on the 11th and John Rey added a chip-in birdie on the difficult par-3 13th, which John Paul bogeyed from five feet.
Twins tower
This solid performance set the stage for John Rey's claim to the boys’ 16-18 trophy with a 72-hole total of 296.
“After I birdied Nos. 10 and 11, I gained momentum and everything just flowed from there,” said John Rey, celebrating his sixth victory and eagerly anticipating the upcoming legs of the JPGT Visayas swing in Bacolod, their home turf.
John Paul salvaged a 74 and a 302 total, completing the Oros’ dominating performance in the centerpiece division of the four-category series. Eddie Gonzales, Jr. placed third at 318 after an 84.
Sinfuego earlier showcased her dominance over Necky Tortosa, who struggled with a 107, finishing at 423. Blessy Solinap recorded a 114, concluding her campaign in the ICTSI-sponsored series with a 470.
Tortosa, a one-armed campaigner from Santa Barbara, actually showed a lot of promise and potential despite her condition with a 102, trailing Sinfuego by just six after the first 18 holes. But while Sinfuego recovered from a 96 with an impressive 85 in the second day, Tortosa wavered with a 111, enabling the 18-year-old BS Criminology student Phinma University of Iloilo student to pull away from the pack.
John Rey and Sinfuego thus joined Kvan Alburo and Eliana Mendoza (8-9), Kurt Flores and Cailey Gonzales (10-12), and Inno Flores and Alexie Gabi in the roster of winners in the kickoff leg of Visayas series of the circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.
Meanwhile, registration for the two Bacolod tournaments is currently underway. For details, contact PGTI’s Jhi Castillo at 0928-316-5678 or Shiela Salvania at 0968-311-4101. The Series 2 of the JPGT Visayas is scheduled for June 24-27 at Bacolod Golf and Country Club in Murcia, while Series 3 will take place from July 1-4 at Negros Occidental Golf and Country Club.
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