BAGUIO CITY. — With their berths to the Elite Junior Finals already secured, Jakob Taruc and Rafa Anciano could have taken the foot off the pedal.
Instead, the two rising stars of Philippine junior golf turned in focused, high-quality performances to rule the premier 15-18 age category of the ICTSI John Hay Junior PGT Championship here on Thursday – albeit in contrasting styles.
For Taruc, it was a gritty, nerve-wracking climb to the top. For Anciano, it was a dominant display of form and finesse.
Taruc may have had the advantage of a free ride to the finals – thanks to the absence of No. 4-ranked Kristoffer Nadales – but the 17-year-old still had to dig deep to secure his first leg win of the season in a dramatic showdown against Andres Fabie.
Coming into the final round just one stroke off the lead, Taruc carded a 74 to finish with a 54-hole total of 222, clinching a three-shot victory at the challenging John Hay Golf Club under cloudy skies and cool mountain conditions.
Fabie faltered when it mattered most, closing with an 78 to settle for second at 225. Alonso Espartero, meanwhile, bogeyed the final two holes and slipped to third with a 228 after matching Taruc’s round of five-over card.
Fabie, who led after 36 holes, looked poised for a breakthrough victory after five tournament appearances, with his best finish previously being a fourth place at Pradera Verde. Although he squandered a one-stroke lead, he fought back from two shots down with a dramatic three-shot swing on the par-3 No. 11 – firing a birdie while Taruc stumbled with a double bogey.
But Taruc, who finished second at Pradera Verde and third at Splendido Taal, quickly responded, birdieing the par-4 12th while Fabie faltered with a double bogey, resulting in a three-shot swing of his own that vaulted him back into the lead.
Taruc then extended his advantage to three strokes after Fabie bogeyed the 13th and faded with a double bogey on the next.
Taruc thus tied Pradera leg winner Zachary Villaroman at third in the overall points standings with 37. Patrick Tambalque led with 45 points, followed by Shinichi Suzuki with 39.
Nadales, who had 32 points and held the No. 4 ranking heading into the event, was forced to skip the leg due to prior commitments, paving the way for Taruc to lock in the final finals berth in the regional series organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.
Alonso Espartero fired a closing 72 to finish third at 235.
While Taruc battled for every shot, Anciano cruised to a commanding win in the girls’ division, assembling a 54-hole total of 222 and won by 26 shots over Tiffany Bernardino despite a two-over 71.
Already guaranteed of the top finals seed after winning three of the first four legs, the Mandaluyong standout skipped the fifth and sixth legs to reset, only to return with a statement victory.
Bernardino, who faltered with an 82, finished second with a 248 total – a result that was enough to vault her into the third finals spot with 34 points. Chole Rada, who shot an 85 for a 258 total, dropped to fourth overall with 32 points but still clinched the last finals ticket.
Absent but already-qualified Levonne Talion (39 points) retained the No. 2 spot in the overall rankings.
Also securing podium finishes at John Hay were Ronee Dungca and Zoji Edoc (7-10 division), and Lisa and Vito Sarines (11-14 division), who likewise earned slots in the Elite Junior Finals, where the region’s best will face off against Visayas-Mindanao counterparts in a Ryder Cup-style team event set for Oct. 7-10 at The Country Club in Laguna.
