By ADRIAN STEWART CO

Local bet Ana Marie Aguilar made her mark on home soil, clinching the girls’ 7-10 crown in the ICTSI Bacolod Junior PGT Championship with a two-day total of 169 at the Bacolod Golf and Country Club.

Aguilar carded an 86 in the final round to hold off Cagayan de Oro’s Francesca Geroy, who closed with an 81 to finish three shots back at 172.

Faith Reosura settled for third place with a 177 after an 87.

The nine-year-old Bacolod native, a student at St. Scholastica’s Academy, said the win boosted her confidence despite falling short of a spot in the national finals due to lack of appearances in the Junior PGT series.

“I kept missing the greens. I need to improve my driving,” Aguilar admitted, though she credited her chipping and putting for the victory.

“Never give up. Even if you have a bad shot, keep going,” she added.

Geroy, meanwhile, secured the last berth to the finals with 32 points, joining Denise Mendoza (45), Soleil Molde (42) and Claren Quiño (39).

In other results, Rafella Batican of Bukidnon pulled off a 13-stroke romp over Andrea Borromeo to rule the girls’ 11-14 category with a 149 total, booking the last ticket to the finals alongside Brittany Tamayo, Kimberly Baroquillo and Zuri Bagaloyos.

“It feels amazing to win again — it’s been a while. I’m excited to compete in the finals,” Batican said.

“The pressure to win was strong. You just have to stay positive and never let bad shots get to you. You always have a chance to bounce back,” she added.

Her brother, Ralph Batican, dominated the boys’ 11-14 side with rounds of 62 and 70 for an eight-under 132, finishing 32 strokes clear of Miguel Mesina (164) and JM Sabrosa (172).

In the boys’ 7-10 class, Lucas Revilleza of Davao strung up identical 73s for 146 to outclass Marapara winner Ethan Lago (154) and Tobias Tiongko (169), sealing his finals qualification./ASC, WDJ