Zamboagueño Mhark Fernando III secured the ICTSI Bacolod Junior PGT Championship, beating local favorite Eddie Gonzales Jr. by one stroke at Bacolod Golf and Country Club on Friday, June 5.
He carded a 73 for a 154 total, while Gonzales posted a 71 to finish at 155.
“I stayed patient and just played my game. When the situation got tough, I didn’t force things,” Fernando, the son of a former national champion and touring pro, said in a news release.
“After I double-bogeyed the 10th, I got nervous, but I just calmed myself down, focused on hitting fairways and greens, and settled for two-putts,” he added.
Fernando locked down a crucial 15 points, hiking his total to 33. He jumped from joint sixth to No. 2 in the Visayas-Mindanao Series standings, placing him inside the top four who will advance to the Elite Junior Grand Finals at the Pueblo de Oro Golf and Country Club in Cagayan de Oro on Aug. 17 to 20.
Ritchie Go also earned a share of the final-hole spotlight, rolling in a stunning 28-footer for birdie to finish with a steady 74 for third at 158.
In the girls’ 15-18 division, Lois Lane Go staged a seven-stroke comeback to nip fellow Cebuana Tashanah Balangauan by one, sealing victory with a last-hole birdie to card a 70 and a 54-hole total of 155.
“Despite a rollercoaster round where every birdie seemed followed by a bogey, I had a good game,” the 16-year-old Go, who staged one of the most thrilling final-round comebacks in the circuit’s history, said.
“I putted terribly in the first 18 holes, so I spent the next two days polishing my stroke and working on the range. The key to this win was absolutely my putting. I drained a lot of birdie putts and managed to save some crucial pars.”
Go hiked her rankings total to 35 points, putting her firmly in the race for one of the four coveted berths in the grand finals.
Despite the loss, Balangauan officially secured the first grand finals berth with 42 total points, heavily padded by her previous back-to-back triumphs at Mactan and Alta Vista.
Mikela Guillermo finished a distant third, carding an 81 for a 171.
Stephen Clementer and Ana Marie Aguilar (7-10 division), as well as Mico Woo and Rafella Batican (11-14 division) were the other podium winners.
The final leg of the six-stage Visayas-Mindanao Series starts on June 8 at Negros Occidental Golf and Country Club in Bacolod City.*PNA
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