By ADRIAN STEWART CO
Darren Ong and Ana Marie Aguilar delivered stunning, last-ditch charges to secure their spots in the Junior PGT Elite finals, conquering the ICTSI Negros JPGT Championship in contrasting but equally spectacular fashion at the Negros Occidental Golf and Country Club in Bacolod City.
Both golfers didn’t just win the tournament — they crashed the party for the South team rankings, punching their tickets to the Ryder Cup-style national finals.
For Ong, the final round of the boys’ 7-10 division was less of a shootout and more of a victory lap. Holding a huge 14-stroke lead after the opening round, Ong slowed down with an 80 after a 76 but still won by 22 strokes on a 156 total over 36 holes.
Anthony Avila carded an 88 to finish a distant second at 178, while Joaquin Limjap took third with a 199 after a 98.
Ong’s dominant performance catapulted him from No. 6 to No. 4 in the Visayas-Mindanao Series rankings. Accumulating 35 points across the six-stage circuit, he dislodged the absent Thomas Ngo (26) to claim the fourth and final qualifying spot.
Ong thus joined Ethan Lago, Stephen Clementer and Lucas Revilleza to form the South’s youngest squad, ready to battle the North side from August 17 to 20 at the Pueblo de Oro Golf and Country Club.
“I’m so excited to play in the grand finals. I’m going to practice hard to turn my weaknesses into strengths, but my goal is to keep playing pressure-free,” said the nine-year-old Ong.
“Everything just clicked today, especially my chipping and putting, though I still feel like I could’ve done better,” he added.
Looking ahead to the team format, Ong promised to spark the lineup.
Meanwhile, home-grown talent Aguilar had to grind it out in the girls’ youngest category. Trailing Vanya Go by two strokes entering the final 18 holes, Aguilar locked into a high-stakes showdown of grit, nerves and shifting fortunes that came down to the absolute wire.
The pendulum first swung in Aguilar’s favor around the turn. Go, looking steady early on, suddenly suffered back-to-back triple bogeys starting from No. 9. Despite Aguilar opening her back nine with consecutive bogeys, Go’s missteps allowed the local favorite to wrest the lead.
But the drama was far from over. On No. 14, it was Aguilar’s turn to stumble, holing out with a triple bogey of her own, enabling Go to reclaim a one-stroke advantage and setting the stage for a dramatic finish with just two holes left to play.
On the par-4 17th, with the championship hanging in the balance, Aguilar proved she had ice in her veins. She set up a pin-high putt — and with unwavering poise, she drained the crucial birdie.
The pressure shifted entirely to Go, whose nerves finally frayed. Cracking under the tension, Go suffered a heartbreaking three-putt miscue. It was a decisive, two-shot swing that propelled Aguilar back into the lead.
On the closing par-5 18th, Aguilar showcased veteran-like composure, matching Go’s par to secure a gritty, one-stroke victory with a final-round 82 and a 158 total. The triumph capped an incredible two-week blitz for Aguilar, who also dominated the Bacolod leg in Murcia last week.
Go wound up with an 85 for a 159 while Jia Ho carded an 81 to tie Zoey Mascariñas, who faltered with an 84, at 165.
“I definitely felt the pressure when I fell one or two down, but I just stayed confident and focused on my game,” said the 10-year-old Aguilar from St. Scholastica’s Academy – Bacolod.
Relying on her irons, precise chipping and solid bunker play to stay in contention, she expressed her relief and excitement for the next stage.
“I’m so happy to qualify for the finals. Next, I really want to sharpen my chipping and putting to help the South team. I think the best way I can support my teammates is by continuing to elevate my own game,” she said.
Aguilar’s back-to-back victories yielded a massive point haul, vaulting her from No. 5 to No. 2 in the final standings with 40 points, joining top-ranked Soleil Molde (42) and the resilient Go (39) in the finals in Cagayan de Oro.
Unfortunately, Aguilar’s late-season surge meant ultimate heartbreak for Zoey Mascariñas.
Mascariñas settled for eight points to end up with 30.
Aguilar’s sudden rise completely pushed Mascariñas out of the Magic 4, leaving her stranded in fifth place overall. Ironically, the absent Akeisha Yocte managed to safely hang onto the fourth and final ticket, finishing with 33 points./ASC, WDJ