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.
With a huge 23-shot cushion heading into the final round, Mendoza played pressure-free golf, using the last 18 holes to sharpen her yardage control, putting and explore other shots for future tournaments.
She managed just two birdies against seven bogeys in the humid conditions – far from her 11-birdie blitz from the previous day. Still, her performance was more than enough to beat Del Monte leg winner Soleil Molde by a staggering 32 shots.
Despite her huge lead, Mendoza admitted she still felt the pressure. “I just tried to stay calm, and my dad comforted me,” she said.
After a brilliant showing on South Pacific’s unpredictable surface Wednesday, she struggled with her putter in the final round but still emerged victorious in dominant fashion. She capped her campaign in style, turning a potential lost-ball situation on the 18th into an emphatic birdie.
“It took a while before we found the ball within the time limit. I managed to hit it close to the green and chipped in for a tap-in birdie,” said Mendoza, who credited her short game for her runaway win.
“I had a lot of short putts that helped me secure the victory,” she added.
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.
Sharing the spotlight was Cagayan de Oro’s Jamie Barnes, who 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.
Barnes stumbled early with two bogeys on his backside start but rebounded with birdies on Nos. 2 and 6 against another mishap on the fourth for a 35-38 round.
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.
“I’m not used to playing this kind of course,” he said, citing the tricky pin placements and sloping greens that tested both his skills and composure.
In the girls’ 11-14 division, also played over 36 holes, South Cotabato’s Brittany Tamayo secured her second Vis-Min leg victory with a 76 for a 145 total, holding off Del Monte leg winner Kimberly Baroquillo by three strokes.
Baroquillo tried to mount a comeback, trimming a seven-shot deficit with three birdies in her first 10 holes. But a bogey on the 11th halted her charge, and she settled for a 72 and a 148. Zuri Bagaloyos finished third at 153 after a 75.
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.
Completing South Cotabato’s sweep of the 11-14 titles, Jared Saban turned in a dominant performance in the boys’ division, firing a closing even-par 72 for a 146 total to beat Ken Guillermo by nine strokes.
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.
Guillermo, who topped both the Del Monte and Pueblo de Oro stops, couldn’t sustain his hot streak and settled for second with a 77 for a 155. Marcus Dueñas carded a 78 to grab solo third at 158, while Guio Pasquil faded with an 83 and slid to fourth at 160.
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.
