DAVAO CITY – Denise Mendoza cooled off after an astonishing opening round but still wrapped up a commanding 32-stroke triumph in the girls’ 7-10 division despite a 77 in the ICTSI South Pacific Junior PGT Championship here on Thursday.
Following her startling first-round 64, spiked by eight backside birdies, the 10-year-old Cebuana slowed down with a five-over round but remained untouchable, clinching the crown with a 36-hole total of three-under 141 at the challenging South Pacific Golf and Residential Estates course.
It was also a big day for South Cotabato bets as Brittany Tamayo reigned in the girls’ 11-14 division by three shots while Jared Saban won convincingly in the boys’ side.
Tamayo shot a 76 for a 145 total and secured her 2nd title after holding off Del Monte leg winner Kimberly Baroquillo, while Saban turned in an even-par 72 for a 146 total to beat Ken Guillermo by nine strokes.
But no one came close to matching Mendoza’s feat as she beat Del Monte leg winner Soleil Molde by a staggering 32 shots.
The Cebu Learning Center standout thus more than doubled her previous best – a 15-stroke triumph over Sistine Yu during the Mactan leg of the Visayas swing last May.
Molde carded an 86, salvaging some highlight with a pitch-in eagle on the par-4 17th, but still finished well behind Mendoza at 173. Francesca Geroy struggled with a 93 to place third at 184.
Cagayan de Oro’s Jamie Barnes continued his unbeaten run in the boys’ youngest division, sweeping his third straight tournament in commanding fashion.
After a five-shot win at Del Monte and a nine-stroke rout at Pueblo de Oro, the nine-year-old phenom outclassed Cebu’s Kvan Alburo by 14 strokes, finishing with a 144 total after a 73.
Alburo, who also won the Match Play crown last year, shot a 78 to snare second place at 158, as Miguel Revilleza struggled with an 82 and slipped to third at 161.
For Barnes, who honed his game at Pueblo de Oro, the latest win was his toughest yet.
Tamayo, meanwhile, weathered a day-long struggle on the greens. Her overnight seven-shot lead proved just enough to withstand Baroquillo’s final-round charge and preserve the win.
“The biggest lessons I learned this week are to focus, visualize, and just enjoy the game,” said the 13-year-old Homeschool Global student, who nearly aced No. 5 for her lone birdie.
Saban, son of touring pro Elmer Saban, birdied Nos. 1 and 12 to offset bogeys on Nos. 4 and 17, finally clinching a breakthrough win after back-to-back third-place finishes in Mactan and Del Monte. He skipped the Pueblo de Oro leg.
The battle for the premier 15-18 division titles also appears headed for a runaway finish, with the leaders pulling away from the field.
Davao’s Adrian Bisera stormed back from three strokes down with a superb three-under 69, highlighted by an eagle-3 on the par-5 No. 2, to seize control in the boys’ 15-18 division of the 54-hole event organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.
Bisera’s strong performance propelled him past a faltering AJ Wacan, who skidded with a 78 after a lead-grabbing 72 and dropped to third at 150, now six shots behind the new leader heading into the final round.
Taking over the challenger’s role is Cagayan de Oro’s Armand Copok, who stayed in the hunt despite bogeying his last two holes for an even-par 72 and a 149 total, five strokes off the pace. Vince Naranjo also made his move with a 71, climbing to fourth at 152, eight shots behind Bisera.
Copok, who placed third at Del Monte and was runner-up at Pueblo de Oro, birdied the second hole for the second straight day. He bounced back from back-to-back double bogeys on Nos. 4 and 5 with an eagle-2 on the par-4 sixth, followed by consecutive birdies on Nos. 7 and 8. He added another birdie on the 12th to close in on Bisera but lost ground with closing bogeys on Nos. 17 and 18, settling for a 35-37.
Bisera, meanwhile, built his charge around an eagle on No. 2 and a string of three birdies from Nos. 7 to 12, offsetting a bogey on the sixth. He dropped another shot on the 14th but finished strong with a 34-35 round.
Crista Miñoza inched closer to a breakthrough win after a string of near-misses, firing a one-under 71 to grab a commanding five-shot lead in the girls’ division heading into the 18 holes.
The Bukidnon native, who placed third in Mactan and posted back-to-back runner-up finishes at Del Monte and Pueblo de Oro, compiled a 148 total to pull away from local bet and overnight co-leader Merry Rose Wacan.
Miñoza overcame bogeys on Nos. 16 and 17 with a strong finish, birdieing Nos. 4 and 9 to widen the gap.
Wacan faltered with three bogeys and a double bogey against a lone birdie at the front, limping home with a 77 for a 154 total. Del Monte leg winner Zero Plete, meanwhile, recovered from an opening 86 with a 74 but remained a distant third at 160.
