MEXICO, Pampanga – Aerin Chan, Ronee Dungca and Tyra Garingalao find themselves locked in a fierce, dead-heat battle for fifth place, injecting high drama into the ICTSI Beverly Place JPGT Championship which unfolds Monday (June 1) here.
With 18 points apiece in the girls’ 11-14 division, the trio is fueling a desperate, backdoor bid to crash the Junior PGT Elite Grand Finals party.
While Garingalao amassed her output over three tournaments, Chan and Dungca have been incredibly efficient, hitting the same mark in just two. However, because league rules mandate a minimum of three tournament appearances to qualify for the finals, this Pampanga leg is an absolute must-play for all three contenders.
The high-stakes showdown comes as the race for the highly coveted spots in the Junior PGT Elite Grand Finals hits a fever pitch. With just two legs remaining in the six-stage regional circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc., the country’s top young golfers are bracing for a pair of dramatic finishes, starting at Beverly Place and concluding at Eagle Ridge on June 17-19.
At stake is the honor of representing the North team in the Elite Junior Finals on Aug. 17-20 at the Pueblo de Oro Golf and Country Club in Cagayan de Oro. Only the top four performers from each age division will advance. With the qualification window rapidly narrowing, every single stroke at Beverly Place and Eagle Ridge could mean the difference between a trip to the finals or heartbreak.
They are chasing a top-four cut line that is slowly solidifying. Mavis Espedido comfortably holds the inside track on the top seat with 33 points, followed closely by Cailey Gonzales (27) and Georgina Handog (25). Quincy Pilac currently clings to the precarious fourth spot with 19 points – just a single point ahead of the hungry chasing pack.
In the boys’ side of the 11-14 bracket, the battle for the final ticket is equally intense. While Vito Sarines (39), Javie Bautista (37) and Chan Ahn (35) hold comfortable advantages at the top of the leaderboard, No. 5 Jacob Casuga (24) and No. 6 Race Manhit (23) are within striking distance of Ryuji Suzuki, who currently sits on the bubble in fourth place with 28 points.
In the premier 15-18 division, a wide-open window of opportunity has appeared. While Manila Southwoods standout Tristan Padilla is a lock for the finals with 42 points, and Shinichi Suzuki is closing in on the second spot with 32 points, the ground beneath the third and fourth seats is incredibly shaky.
Geoffrey Tan (22 points) and Charles Serdenia (20 points) currently occupy those spots, but they are far from safe. A late-season surge from Rafael Leonio (15), Taeyang Yun (13) and Mico Ungco (12) – or even a dominant sweep of the final two legs by Patrick Tambalque, Bien Fajardo or Jose Jacobo Gomez (all tied at 10 points) – could completely upend the standings.
Meanwhile, the girls’ 15-18 division sees twin sisters Lisa and Mona Sarines sitting comfortably in the executive seats, having practically locked down the top two berths with 42 and 39 points, respectively. But behind them, Levonne Talion is looking to orchestrate a gatecrash. Sitting in fifth with 28 points, Talion is targeting nothing less than a podium finish or an outright victory in Pampanga to leapfrog Kendra Garingalao (30 points) and No. 3 Rafa Anciano (31 points).
The youngest division features its own share of high drama. In the girls’ 7-10 category, Winter Serapio has already punched her ticket to Cagayan de Oro with an impressive 45 points, while Jehanne Mendoza (30) and Andrea Lee (27) are securely zeroing in on the next two berths.
This leaves a frantic scramble for the final seat. Laura Pablo currently holds fourth place with 20 points, but she faces heavy incoming fire from Adrianna Cabrera, Tyly Bernardino and Elizabeth Laurel, who are all tied for fifth with 14 points – just six points off the pace.
In the youngest boys’ category, all eyes will be on fifth-running Asher Abad. Heading into Beverly Place, Abad is looking to bolster his grand finals prospects. With 20 points, he remains within striking distance of Kenzo Tan (31 points) and Alexian Ching (30 points), who sit in third and fourth, respectively. Meanwhile, leg winners Zach Guico (42 points) and Zoji Edoc (39 points) hold the inside track on the top two spots.
