NEGROS OCCIDENTAL. — The ICTSI Negros Occidental Junior PGT Championship 15-18 division lived up to the hype on Wednesday here, delivering a pair of thrilling, down-to-the-wire finishes that stood in stark contrast to the runaway victories seen in the younger age groups the day before.
Tashanah Balangauan staged a gritty comeback against Precious Zaragosa, capitalizing on her rival’s early stumble to erase a two-stroke deficit. Although she briefly trailed again after No. 10, the 16-year-old Cebuana seized the lead for good following another costly double bogey by Zaragosa on the par-3 13th.
With nerves of steel, Balangauan came through in the clutch, saving par on the demanding par-5 18th with a composed up-and-down for a round of 75. She edged the erstwhile leader by two with a 54-hole total of 12-over 222.
Zaragosa, needing a par on the final hole to apply pressure, missed the green and then misread a tricky downhill putt from seven feet. The miss allowed Balangauan to calmly sink a four-footer to complete her second win in the Visayas-Mindanao leg of the Junior Philippine Golf Tour.
Zaragosa settled for a 79 and a 224 total, while Breanna Rojas carded a 93 to finish third with a 285.
The boys’ 15-18 division also produced a thrilling finish, with hometown favorite John Paul Oro weathering a final-round scare to secure a three-shot victory despite a rollercoaster 75.
Oro wrapped up the tournament with a 54-hole total of 222, but the road to the title was far from smooth. Alexis Nailga, already guaranteed a spot in the Finals, mounted a fiery comeback from eight strokes down at the start of the day.
Playing in the flight ahead of the championship group, Nailga birdied the first two holes and trimmed the deficit to just one stroke with one hole to play, putting intense pressure on Oro down the stretch.
But in a bold bid to force a playoff, Nailga went aggressive on No. 18 – and it proved costly. A double bogey derailed his rally, leaving him with a 72 and a 225, settling for runner-up honors.
