TARLAC – Precious Zaragosa displayed remarkable poise in the back nine to edge out Mona Sarines and secure the 13-15 category title with a 73 in the ICTSI Junior PGT Luzon Series 5 at the Luisita Golf and Country Club on Thursday.
After a shaky front nine where she posted a three-over card, Zaragosa found herself tied with Sarines at seven-over overall as the latter rallied from five strokes down with a brilliant 34 in the first nine holes.
But a birdie-bogey exchange on No. 10 shifted the momentum back in Zaragosa’s favor. The 13-year-old Learning Links Academy student then pulled away with another birdie on the 14th as Sarines stumbled with three more bogeys and a double bogey to finish with a 76.
Zaragosa inspired by dad
“My putting was bad on the front nine, with three-putts, while Mona kept sinking hers,” said Zaragosa, whose victory has fueled her determination to secure one of the four coveted slots in the Match Play Championship in October.
However, the two-shot swing was a confidence booster, and Zaragosa drew further inspiration from dad Boyet, who watched her secure a second title in the ICTSI-sponsored series following a four-shot triumph, also over Sarines, in the season opener at Splendido Taal last May.
She assembled a 221 over 54 holes, winning by eight strokes over Sarines, who ended up with a 229. Mona’s twin sister Lisa, a two-leg winner, wound up third with 233 after a 77.
Jakob Taruc, meanwhile, also bolstered his Match Play bid with a runaway victory in the boys’ division, closing with a round of 77 for a total of 225. He finished 10 strokes ahead of John Paul Agustin, Jr., who wavered with a 79 for a 235.
Zianbeau Edoc snared third place with a 248 after an 84.
The chase for the 16-18 titles, meanwhile, appears to be nearing a decisive conclusion, with Lia Duque virtually securing the girls’ division crown after posting an 83 for a three-day total of 245.
Duque holds an impressive 25-shot lead over Rafa Anciano, who struggled with her worst round of the tournament, a 95, bringing her aggregate to 270, that included an 86 and an 89.
Kobayashi keeps lead
Chloe Rada, despite an eagle-3 on the par-5 5th hole, carded an 81 and remained in third place with a 271, just one stroke shy of contending for runner-up honors and crucial ranking points.
On the boys’ side, Mark Kobayashi's lead remained secure despite a challenging round of 79, which followed his stellar 70 Wednesday. His 224 total kept him eight strokes ahead of Zachary Villaroman, who shot a 77 for a 232 heading into the final 18 holes of the premier category of the series organized by Pilipins Golf Tournaments, Inc.
Sebastian Sajuela put in an 82 for third at 243.
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