BACOLOD City – Precious Zaragosa completed a big late-season surge, securing a wire-to-wire victory at the ICTSI Negros JPGT Championship at the Negros Occidental Golf and Country Club on Wednesday to book her spot in the upcoming Junior PGT Elite Grand Finals.
By winning the final two legs of the six-stage Visayas-Mindanao Series, the rising Davaoeña star rocketed from the middle of the standings to a joint-first finish. She and Tashanah Balangauan will headline a formidable South team in the girls’ 15-18 division, setting up a highly anticipated, Ryder Cup-style showdown against the North side this August in Cagayan de Oro.
Zaragosa zooms up leaderboard
Ranked fifth overall after her victory at the Pueblo de Oro leg last month, Zaragosa’s commanding performance at the par-70 Marapara layout this week propelled her to the top of the leaderboard. She finished with 42 points, tying Cebuana standout Balangauan, who had already secured the first finals berth.
Zaragosa closed out her dominant Negros run with a final-round 74 for a 13-over-par 223 total over 54 holes.
In the boys’ final, Cebuano Sebastian Sajuela turned what had appeared to be a down-to-the-wire battle into a cruising victory. Facing off against Del Monte’s Clement Ordeneza in hot and humid conditions, Sajuela clinched a two-stroke win, finishing with a 75 for a 224 total despite a double bogey on No. 18.
Gotiong also finished with a four-over card for a 229. Despite her setback, the Cebuana successfully propelled her into the finals via the backdoor, raising her total to 36 points on the strength of three second-place finishes across the Vis-Min series.
Lois Laine Go shot a 79 to finish third at 242 and secure the third qualifying spot with 35 points, while Cagayan de Oro’s Mikela Guillermo, who placed fourth at 253 after an 81, grabbed the fourth and final ticket with 28 points. Guillermo effectively dislodged erstwhile No. 4 Zero Plete, who surrendered her finals aspirations by skipping this final elimination leg.
Zaragosa and Ordeneza thus shared the winners' podium with lower-division champions Ana Marie Aguilar and Darren Ong (7-10), as well as Ken Guillermo and Marqaela Dy (11-14) in the event organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.
Meanwhile, the race for the remaining national finals slots shifts to Luzon, where the final leg of the Luzon Series will take place on June 17-19 at the Eagle Ridge Golf and Country Club in General Trias, Cavite.
The ICTSI North vs South Elite Junior PGT Finals will be held on Aug. 17-20 at Pueblo de Oro.
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