LAUREL, Batangas – Charles Serdenia displayed resilience, skill, and poise to secure a four-stroke victory over Zachary Villaroman in a dramatic back-nine showdown, closing with a 74 in the boys’ 15-18 division of the Junior Philippine Golf Tour Luzon Series I at the Splendido Taal Golf Club on Friday.
Serdenia's triumph was cemented by a pivotal two-shot swing on the 13th hole, where he sank a 6-foot birdie putt. This marked a stunning comeback from being three strokes down with nine holes to play, to taking a one-stroke lead. He then capitalized on Villaroman's mistakes, including a costly triple-bogey on the 14th, to finish with a 311 total.
Villaroman could not recover from the disastrous 7 on the 14th, ending up with a 79 for a total of 315, placing second. Alexander Crisostomo secured third place with a 323 after an 81.
In the girls’ division, Jiwon Lee dominated, finishing with a 75 for a 17-over 305 total, securing a 13-stroke victory over Lia Duque. Duque struggled with an 82, totaling 318, while Anna Fernandez came in third with a 343 after an 81.
“This win is memorable. It’s my first time becoming a JPGT champion,” said Serdenia, who turned 15 on Thursday. “I told myself that I wouldn’t let go until I secured the win. Fortunately, I birdied both Nos. 12 (12 feet) and 13."
Serdenia overcomes nerves
Reflecting on his strategy, Serdenia added, “Heading to No. 14, I was extremely nervous because I was 1-up, so I decided to aim for the green and two-putt.”
Jiwon Lee, on her part, mentioned her surprise at the victory. “I wasn’t really expecting to win. But I’m very grateful,” she said. “I was just trying to keep my score and do better than my previous tournaments. My goal was to finish around 15-over for four days.”
“I didn’t quite meet that expectation, but I learned from this experience, and now I’m confident I can manage my score better in the future,” she added.
Despite the margin of victory, the boys’ division saw an intense duel between Serdenia and Villaroman. Serdenia, trailing by three shots after the front nine, mounted a determined recovery. Villaroman, who started strong, crumbled under pressure, bogeying three of the first four holes on the back nine and effectively losing the contest with a triple-bogey on No. 14.
Serdenia’s comeback began with a first-round 75, followed by an 86 in the second round, which put him six strokes behind Villaroman. A third-round 76, combined with Villaroman’s 81, closed the gap to one stroke, setting up the final-round drama.
In the final round, an early birdie on No. 3 brought Serdenia level with Villaroman at 20-over par. Villaroman responded with a birdie on the sixth, leveraging Serdenia’s four consecutive bogeys from No. 5 to maintain a three-stroke lead at the turn. However, bogeys on Nos. 10 and 11 allowed Serdenia to close the gap. A birdie on No. 13 shifted the momentum in Serdenia’s favor, and he maintained his composure with a series of pars to secure the victory.
Villaroman acknowledged his errors, particularly his double bogey on No. 9, which he cited as pivotal. “I was one-under going to No. 9 but made a double-bogey,” he said, reflecting on a bladed approach shot that led to his downfall.
In the girls’ finals, Lee started the final round with a six-shot lead over Duque and extended her advantage with a birdie on the 10th hole. Despite encountering difficulties on Nos. 13 and 14, her lead remained unchallenged as Duque faltered.
Zaragosa rules division
The tournament also saw victories from Vito Sarines and Precious Zaragosa in the 11-14 division, and Ryuji Suzuki and Maurysse Abalos in the 8-10 category, as part of the kickoff event of the nationwide 14-leg circuit sponsored by ICTSI.
The Luzon series will continue with the Pradera Verde tournament in Lubao, Pampanga, on May 28-31, followed by the Pinewoods Golf Club event in Baguio on June 11-14. Ranking points are awarded at each leg, with the top four players in the boys’ and girls’ divisions qualifying for the Philippine Junior Match Play Championship at The Country Club in October.
The JPGT series, organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc., aims to nurture young talent and promote the sport, operating independently to avoid scheduling conflicts and foster a cooperative atmosphere for the benefit of the players.
Three tournaments are scheduled in the Visayas, and four in Mindanao, with the top two players (boys and girls) from each series advancing to the head-to-head finals, spotlighting the nation’s best junior golfers.
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