TWO local junior golfers trying to get the feel of tournament pro play got more than what they had hoped for as Velinda Castil carded a 73 to grab a one-stroke lead over Abby Abarcas and pro Florence Bisera at the start of the Ladies Philippine Golf Tour's Del Monte Championship on Tuesday at Del Monte Golf Club in Bukidnon.
“I practiced a lot with my short game since that is the key here,” said the 15-year-old Castil, who birdied two of the four long holes, including the 18th that shoved her past Abarcas.
See Alethea Gaccion, Zeus Sara bag overall titles in VisMin Junior PGT
Castil and Abarcas made the podium in the Junior PGT at Pueblo de Oro on Sunday behind Alethea Gaccion.
“I’ll just enjoy it, fairways-greens and try to go for two-putts,” said Castil, who is playing for the second time in a pro tournament, finishing in joint 15th at Forest Hills in June.
Abarcas, on the other hand, puts premium on driving: “It’s very important off the tee because the fairways are narrow and if you get it straight, you’ll have more chances.”
The 16-year-old rising star, who like Castil hails from Manolo Fortich, said she had no expectations in her first pro event, keeping a positive mindset despite bogeying three of the first five holes at the back.
That resulted to birdies on Nos. 15 and 18 then mixed two bogeys against a birdied at the front and missed catching Castil at the helm with a flubbed birdie try on the par-5 ninth.
"I didn't expect to be where I stood but it's exciting," said Abarcas, who is also relishing her stint as a first-time member of the national pool.
While Bisera, who finished second to Daniella Uy at Forest Hills, bucked a couple of three-putt miscues to lead the pros with a two-birdie, four-bogey card for joint second, Uy struggled trying to recover from a double-bogey start.
The former Junior World champion, who also won at Riviera in 2021, bogeyed Nos. 7 and 8 although she bounced back with two birdies against another bogey in the next five holes and wound up with a 75 in a tie with Valley leg winner amateur Mafy Singson and Sarah Ababa at fourth.
Korean Seo Kim, back in the LPGT hunt after a two-leg absence due to injury, turned in a birdie-less 76 for a share of seventh with Apple Fudolin, Pamela Mariano and amateur Jiwon Lee.
For a while, two-leg winner and pre-tournament favorite Harmie Constantino appeared headed for an explosive run after coming through with a pitch-in eagle on the par-4 11th, her second hole. But what came next was a long streak of mishits and missed putts, leading to seven bogeys as she limped with a 77 to slip to the group that included Chihiro Ikeda, Lesley Icoy, Annika Cedo and Gaccion at 11th.
The eighth leg of this year’s LPGT, organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. is backed by PGTI official apparel Kampfortis Golf.
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