NEGROS OCCIDENTAL. — Denise Mendoza reinforced her status as the player to beat in the girls’ 7-10 division, while Ethan Lago pulled through on the boys’ side. But as both cruised to dominant wins in the ICTSI Negros Occidental Junior PGT Championship on Tuesday, focus is now turning to the surging race for the Elite Junior Finals – particularly in the 11-14 division, where multiple players remain in the hunt ahead of the crucial Binitin leg starting Thursday.
Mendoza, a Cebuana standout, built on her opening round 72 and never looked back, completing a wire-to-wire triumph in the 36-hole tournament with a 70 for a 142 total at the par-70-Marapara course here. She widened her 16-shot overnight lead to 27 strokes at the turn, eventually sealing a 33-shot victory over Ana Marie Aguilar (87-175), with Faith Reosura (99-189) rounding out the podium.
The win, worth 15 points, hiked Mendoza’s total to 45, enough to unseat erstwhile series leader Soleil Molde (42) atop the rankings. With her third win following earlier victories in Mactan and Apo, Mendoza is now firmly qualified for the Elite Junior Finals scheduled for Sept. 30-Oct. 3 at The Country Club.
“My putting was much better today – I felt more confident,” said 10-year-old Mendoza. “Considering how I played yesterday, I’m satisfied with how I performed today.”
Still, she emphasized the importance of improving her consistency.
“I think I just need to keep working on consistency so I can perform well in every tournament,” added the rising star from Cebu, who rated her game this week an 8 out of 10. “There are definitely areas where I could’ve done better.”
In the boys’ youngest category, Lago capped off an impressive campaign with a nine-stroke triumph over fellow Davaoeño Lucas Revilleza despite a 76 as he pooled a 146.
