NEGROS OCCIDENTAL – Not wanting to miss a beat, Alexis Nailga has signed up for the ICTSI Negros Occidental Junior PGT Championship, further strengthening an already formidable field across various age-group divisions.
The second leg of the Visayas-Mindanao series gets under way Wednesday, May 14, at the Negros Occidental Golf and Country Club, promising another thrilling showcase of the country’s most promising young golf talents.
Nailga’s entry completes the roster of six standout players who dominated the kickoff leg of the regional series last week at Mactan Island Golf Course in Cebu. All are aiming to replicate their victories while collecting crucial ranking points in their bids to secure coveted spots in the North vs. South Elite Junior Finals later this year.
The Junior PGT series, launched in 2023 by ICTSI, aims to uncover and develop young golf talent with the potential to represent the Philippines on the international stage.
After this Negros Occidental stop, the Visayas swing wraps up at Bacolod Golf and Country Club in Binitin, Murcia, from May 19–21, with the four-leg Mindanao series set to fire off June 25–27 at Del Monte Golf Club.
To qualify for the national finals, players must compete in at least three tournaments. The top four players in each age group from the Visayas-Mindanao (Vis-Min) swing will form the regional team to face Luzon’s top performers in the North vs. South Elite Junior Finals set for Sept. 30 to Oct. 2 at The Country Club in Laguna.
Nailga, a 15-year-old shotmaker from Del Monte Golf Club, dazzled in the boys’ 15-18 division in Cebu, unleashing a closing two-under-par 66 to rout Cebu’s Nyito Tiongko by 10 strokes. Nailga attributed his success to a disciplined and composed approach, saying, “Just keep the ball in play and keep myself composed all throughout.”
Nailga leads a strong Mindanao contingent that swept four divisions at Mactan. Joining him are Bukidnon’s Ralph Batican (boys’ 11-14), Davao’s Ethan Lago (boys’ 7-10), and South Cotabato’s Brittany Tamayo (girls’ 11-14) – all determined to extend their winning streaks and firm up their finals campaigns.
They will, however, face stiff resistance from Cebuana champions Denise Mendoza (girls’ 7-10) and Tashanah Balangauan (girls’ 15-18), who are equally motivated to post back-to-back wins in the series organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. However, all visiting contenders are expected to be tested by the charge of homegrown talents with intimate knowledge of the tricky Marapara layout.
Spearheading the host province’s campaign are Bacolod bets Santi Asuncion, Lance Soberano, Azie Acuña, Cybon Casil, Eddie Gonzales, Raphael Aguilar, Nathan Gerochi and John Rey Oro and John Paul Oro, along with Canlaon’s Blake Bautista and Murcia’s Jungie Delicana and EJ Valenzuela. They are all ready to challenge top names like Nailga, Nyito Tiongko and Yosef Tiongko, and Davao’s James Teves.
In the girls’ centerpiece 15-18 division, Bacolod’s Amelia Valderrama and Breanna Rojas hope to shake up the leaderboard as Balangauan looks to defend her title. Davao’s Precious Zaragosa, stepping up from the lower divisions, is also seen as a top contender in the 54-hole contest.
In the boys’ 11-14 category, Batican headlines a strong field that includes Negros Occidental’s JM Sabroso and Luigi Alvarez, Bacolod’s Isaac Locsin and Zach Casil, South Cotabato’s Jared and Laurence Saban, last week’s runner-up Ken Guillermo from Cagayan de Oro, and Bukidnon’s Mico Woo, all set for a tight 36-hole battle.
Tamayo, meanwhile, will have her hands full in the girls’ 11-14 bracket with Apo Golf’s Johanna Uyking, Bukidnon’s Rafella Batican and locals Gabriela Regino and Chelsea Ogborne joining Cebu’s Andrea Borromeo in pursuit of the title.
