By ADRIAN STEWART CO
Hometown favorite John Paul Oro held his nerve down the stretch to capture the boys’ 15-18 division title in the ICTSI Negros Occidental Junior Philippine Golf Tour (JPGT) Championship on Wednesday, September 17.
Oro closed with a rollercoaster 75 for a 54-hole total of 222, holding off a spirited comeback by Alexis Nailga, who mounted a fiery charge from eight strokes down.
Nailga birdied the first two holes and pulled within one with a hole to play, but a costly double bogey on No. 18 ended his rally and left him with a 72 and 225 for runner-up honors.
Azie Acuña took third with 230, edging Mhark Fernando III in the countback.
“I’m so happy. It’s my first time winning at JPGT,” Oro said in Filipino.
“I really wanted to qualify [for the finals], but I couldn’t join the other legs. It’s hard to travel from Bacolod to Cebu or Mindanao,” he added.
Although the victory was not enough to secure a finals berth due to the minimum three-leg participation rule, Oro said the win boosted his confidence heading into the last leg at Binitin, also in Bacolod.
“I thank God for giving me strength and the will to win. And of course, I’m grateful to everyone who supports me,” he added.
In the girls’ 15-18 division, Cebu’s Tashanah Balangauan pulled off a comeback of her own, overcoming Precious Zaragosa’s early lead to card a 75 for a 222 and a two-stroke triumph.
Zaragosa slipped to second with 224 after a final-hole bogey, while Breanna Rojas wound up third with 285.
Balangauan’s second win in the Visayas-Mindanao leg propelled her to fourth in the overall standings with 30 points, keeping her finals hopes alive.
Zaragosa improved to third with 34, while Crista Miñoza (39) and Zero Plete (37) stayed in front.
Earlier, Ethan Lago and Denise Mendoza dominated the 7-10 age group with runaway victories, while Ralph Batican and Zuri Bagaloyos topped their respective 11-14 divisions.
The final leg tees off at Binitin yesterday, with the North vs. South Finals set from September 30 to October 3 at The Country Club./ASC, WDJ