BAGUIO CITY, Philippines – Ronee Dungca barged into the ICTSI Elite Junior Finals the onerous manner, however did so in emphatic vogue – sharing the highest spot within the women’ 7-10 age group class with a 71 on the shut of a rain-disrupted John Hay JPGT Championship right here Wednesday.
Regardless of lacking the primary 4 legs of the seven-stage regional tour, Dungca made a shocking late-season cost. The nine-year-old swept the final three legs, matching Mavis Espedido’s three-leg sweep price 45 factors every to advance to the finals of the season-long, course-hopping sequence organized to find and develop younger expertise from throughout the nation’s provinces.
Dungca, Espedido and two others will now sq. off with the highest qualifiers from the Visayas-Mindanao swing in a Ryder Cup-style showdown slated October 7-10 at The Nation Membership in Laguna.
Dungca’s closing two-over card gave her a 36-hole whole of 143 for a 12-shot victory over Tyra Garingalao of Carmona, Cavite, who posted a 75 for a 155. Amiya Tablac of Baguio Metropolis completed third with a 163 after an 80.
Venus delos Santos, who was in third place within the total standings earlier than the ultimate leg, recovered from a disastrous opening-round 92 with a 74. However Dungca’s spectacular end finally denied the Bulacan native a spot within the finals.
Winter Serapio seized the third finals berth with 37 factors, whereas Garingalao clinched the fourth and remaining slot with 36 factors – buoyed by the essential 12 factors she earned for her second-place end.
Delos Santos wound up with 34 factors.
Dungca started the ultimate spherical with the identical fiery type that marked her opening efficiency, once more carding three birdies early on. Nevertheless, she additionally replicated her struggles – double-bogeying the fourth and dropping strokes on Nos. 6 and 9.
Nonetheless, the Angeles Metropolis prodigy rebounded with birdies on Nos. 10 and 12. However the par-5 sixteenth proved to be her nemesis as soon as extra, as she dropped two pictures there for the second straight day. Then got here the climate.
As Dungca approached the par-3 ending gap, heavy rains swept by way of the John Hay course, prompting organizers Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc. to droop play within the 11-14 and 15-18 age group divisions for over an hour and a half.
The sudden downpour turned the already-challenging structure right into a take a look at of endurance and psychological focus, with puddles forming on fairways and greens, and visibility sharply lowered. Regardless of these powerful circumstances, Dungca held her nerve to finish her spherical, bogeying the final gap however securing her place on the prime of the leaderboard.
Within the boys’ 7-10 division, Zoji Edoc emerged because the winningest participant, securing 4 leg victories. He capped his marketing campaign with a second straight 71 for a 142 whole – 10 strokes forward of native favourite Marco Angheng, who ended with a 152 after a 78.
Michael Matias of Quezon Metropolis completed third at 175, adopted by Samuel Ababa (100-182) and Jethro Bayron (106-205).
Edoc, a bronze medalist within the latest Junior World Championships in San Diego, additionally shared the highest finals seeding with Zach Guico, each incomes 45 factors. Asher Abad and Halo Pangilinan accomplished the checklist of finalists, every accumulating 34 factors.
The gamers’ prime three outcomes from the seven-leg Luzon sequence decided their remaining rankings.
The battle for the final two finals slots within the boys’ 11-14 division delivered a dramatic end, with Vito Sarines rallying after an extended rain delay to clinch a one-stroke victory over Zianbeau Edoc.
Sarines got here by way of within the clutch with birdies on Nos. 16 and 17, firing a 67 to finish a 135 combination within the 36-hole event.
Edoc, who led for a lot of the manner, responded with a birdie of his personal on the sixteenth to maintain tempo. Nevertheless, a pricey bogey on the seventeenth resulted in a two-shot swing, giving Sarines the sting. Each gamers parred the ultimate gap, sealing Sarines’ slim win and dashing Edoc’s bid for a sweep of his three-tournament stint.
Regardless of the loss, Edoc, who solely joined the tour’s final three legs, nonetheless posted a powerful marketing campaign, ending with two wins and a runner-up end. His closing 67 gave him a 136 whole and 42 factors total, matching the outputs of Sarines and absentee Ryuji Suzuki as they secured the highest three spots within the finals.
Sarines’ late surge and Edoc’s robust end finally ended Race Manhit’s finals hopes. Manhit delivered the spherical of the day with a 66, highlighted by a four-birdie blitz from No. 11, however a first-round 73 left him at 139 total – good for third place, however not sufficient to overhaul absentee Jacob Casuga within the factors race.
Manhit wanted at the least a runner-up end to surpass Casuga’s 35-point whole, earned from a win and two third-place finishes. As an alternative, Manhit’s third-place end price simply one other 10 factors, conserving his whole to 34.
Within the women’ 11-14 division, Lisa Sarines secured one other leg victory regardless of a shaky end, carding a second straight 69 for a 138 whole to edge out her twin sister, Mona, by one stroke.
Mona held the in a single day lead following a 67 within the first spherical however struggled with a 73 on Day 2 to slide to second at 140. Kendra Garingalao rounded out the highest three with a 158 after a remaining spherical 77.
The Sarines twins had already locked up the highest two finals slots earlier within the sequence. Garingalao secured the third berth with 32 factors, whereas Alexie Gabi claimed the fourth and remaining spot with 26 factors.
The boys’ 15-18 division delivered a shock twist as Andres Fabie surged forward regardless of a closing double-bogey on No. 9 after an eagle-2 on the par-4 No. 8 in moist circumstances. He carded a one-over 70 and grabbed a one-stroke lead over Jakob Taruc heading into the ultimate spherical of the 54-hole event.
Fabie, whose finest end in 4 earlier legs was solely fourth, now holds the highest spot with a 147 whole. Taruc slipped with a 72 for a 148 combination, whereas former co-leader Alonso Espartero struggled to a 78, dropping to 154.
Although exterior the High 4, Fabie is hoping to cap off an in any other case difficult marketing campaign with a breakthrough victory. Nevertheless, Taruc is predicted to go all out for the win, as he’s poised to hitch Patrick Tambalque, Shinichi Suzuki and Zachary Villaroman within the finals.
Within the women’ premier division, Rafa Anciano pulled away with a commanding 15-shot lead after carding a 74 for a two-day whole of 151. Tiffany Bernardino faltered with an 85 however held on to second at 166, whereas Chloe Rada remained in third with a 173 after an 88.
Whatever the final-round end result, Anciano, Bernardino, Rada and absentee Levonne Talion have already secured their spots within the finals.
