DAVAO \u2013 Ralph and Rafella Batican hammered out gripping victories to sweep the 10-12 category titles, while James Rolida and Mavis Espedido emerged victorious in the 8-9 division of the ICTSI JPGT Mindanao Series 2 at South Pacific Golf and Leisure Estates here Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Ralph secured a thrilling win with a birdie from four feet in sudden death on No. 9, pulling through after Jared Saban missed a close-range putt, both having tied at 152 over 36 holes. Ralph initially appeared set for a regulation win but double-bogeyed the final hole for a round of 79 while Saban finished with a 77.<\/p>\n
\u201cI played poorly,\u201d said Saban, ruing his five-bogey skid from No. 11 that allowed Saban to mount a comeback.<\/p>\n
Rafella, on the other hand, overcame a late challenge from Kimberly Barroquillo to secure a two-stroke victory with a total score of 153 after a round of 77. Despite Barroquillo’s strong finish, which included two birdies in the last five holes, she ended up with a 155, also after a five-over-par round.<\/p>\n
\u201cI struggled with my putting, but I was able to recover,\u201d said Rafella.<\/p>\n
Apo leg winner Brittany Tamayo charged back with a 75 but could only finish at third at 156, while Kelsey Bernardino placed fourth at 160 after an 81.<\/p>\n
Ralph and Saban were neck-and-neck from the start, trading birdies and bogeys, with the former eventually taking the lead with a strong performance on the front nine. Despite faltering on the back nine, Ralph managed to hold on and win in the playoff.<\/p>\n
In the 8-9 division, James Rolida won decisively in the boys\u2019 category with a closing 94 for a 195, while Mavis Espedido triumphed in the girls\u2019 category with a 176 after an 86.<\/p>\n
In the boys\u2019 13-15 division, Alexis Nailga maintained his five-stroke lead with a 161 despite an 80 following a back nine struggle. Apo leg champion AJ Wacan also carded an eight-over card and remained in second with 166, while Joaquin Pasquil stayed at third with 179 after an 88.<\/p>\n
Apo leg titlist Johanna Uyking positioned herself for back-to-back victories in the girls\u2019 13-15 division of the nationwide series sponsored by ICTSI, leading with a 157 after an impressive round of 73.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy putting was on point, which helped me recover from my previous round of 84,\u201d said Uyking, who recorded four birdies inside 10 feet despite five bogeys in her 34-39 card.<\/p>\n
She emphasized the importance of maintaining consistency to secure another leg title in the 54-hole tournament organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.<\/p>\n
\u201cI need to stay consistent and give my best effort to win again,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
In the boys\u2019 16-18 category, Aldrien Gialon edged out Nino Villacencio with a two-shot swing on the final hole, finishing with a 154 after a 78. Villacencio followed closely with a 79 for a 156, while Adrian Bisera fumbled with an 80 for a 159.<\/p>\n
Gialon expressed the importance of being in top physical condition for the competition, saying in Pilipino: “It’s necessary for the body to be in good condition for a good swing tomorrow (Thursday). The strong ones have an advantage here.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
DAVAO \u2013 Ralph and Rafella Batican hammered out gripping victories to sweep the 10-12 category titles, while James Rolida and Mavis Espedido emerged victorious in the 8-9 division of the ICTSI JPGT Mindanao Series 2 at South Pacific Golf and Leisure Estates here Wednesday. Ralph secured a thrilling win with a birdie from four feet…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1980,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[187],"class_list":["post-1979","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-jpgt"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t