By: Waylon Galvez
DAVAO CITY — Course familiarity proved crucial for Filipino players as Team Philippines grabbed the early lead in the opening round of the inaugural Junior Golf Foundation of the Philippines World Team Championships on Friday, April 17, at the Apo Golf and Country Club here.
Philippine Team (Brittannika) of Brittany Tamayo, Jared Saban, Kimberly Barroquillo, and Travis Cadungog posted a combined 14-over-par 230 to lead the 13–18 division in the world team category of the JGFP-organized tournament sanctioned by the National Golf Association of the Philippines.
Using a four-to-play, three-to-count format, Tamayo led the charge with a 75, followed by Saban with 76, Cadungog with 79, and Barroquillo with 87.
Sitting in second place, just two strokes behind at 16-over 232, is the Philippines-NGAP team composed of Tristan Padilla (73), Vito Sarines (75), Nicole Gaisano Gan (84), and Geoffrey Tan (84). Malaysia is in third at 17-over 233 behind the efforts of Amelia Lee (76), Jarvis Liew Zun Xin (78), Chan Jun Han (79), and Jamie Tan Huan Ying (83).
Sebastian Diego Sajuela, David Gothong, Marqaela Davelyn Dy, and Lois Laine Go of Philippines Visayas 1 are tied for fourth to fifth place with Australia’s JNR Golf team of Connor Roberts, Saehi Suh, and Sienna McCulloch, both teams carding identical 240s among the 12 participating squads.
In the 13–18 national team category, the Philippines also dominated the opening day as the Go for Gold squad of Thirdy Fernando, Zero Plete, Tomy Dela Torre, and Bea Lapuz posted a 20-over 236 to edge Japan MMGC by a stroke, which finished at 237 behind Inno Lim Flores, Chan Ahn, John Rey Oro, and John Paul Oro.
The standout performance came from 15-year-old Fernando, who is an incoming Grade 11 student at Cagayan de Oro-based homeschool Little Me Academy. He was the only player in the 13–18 division to break par, firing a 70 highlighted by four birdies on holes 3, 5, 6, and 9, against two bogeys on 12 and 17 in the boys division. Tamayo, meanwhile, topped the girls’ field with her 75.
Fernando, the son of former touring professional and three-time winner on the ICTSI-backed Philippine Golf Tour (PGT) Mark Fernando, credited his preparation and short game for his strong start in the tournament supported by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), NGAP, Islandwide, and Sotogrande Hotel, the official home base of the event.
“Before the tournament I hit 200 balls a day focusing on my short game and also putting. I actually struggled coming into this tournament, so it really helped me in my preparation as I played well in the first round,” said Fernando, a native of Zamboanga City.
With his low score, Fernando is set to receive a cash prize from JGFP president Oliver Gan, who pledged rewards for Filipino players who shoot under par in each round.
Gan said he was not surprised by the strong showing of local teams, particularly those from Mindanao, given their familiarity with Apo Golf, but expects players from Manila and those with more international experience to mount a charge in the succeeding rounds.
“I’m not surprised that players from the Mindanao region are up there on the leaderboard, they’re familiar with Apo Golf. But expect the players with experience, especially playing abroad, to bounce back. Expect an exciting finish starting in the second round going to the final round,” said Gan.
According to Gan, the top Filipino boys and girls players will earn slots to represent the country in the Asia Pacific golf meet in Sri Lanka this June.
Competition is also being held in the 9–12 and 8-under divisions. The 13–18 and 9–12 categories will be played over three rounds, while the 8-under division will be contested over 36 holes in the tournament that has gathered 150 players from 11 nations.
Beyond competition, the event also aims to position Mindanao—particularly Davao City—as a serious hub in the national junior golf ecosystem, not just a warm-weather destination for visiting professionals. It marks only the second international tournament ever hosted by Apo Golf, a milestone for both the club and Mindanao golf.
The first international staging helped place the course on the regional map, while this follow-up firmly embeds it in the junior golf calendar, giving Filipino juniors a rare opportunity to compete against international talent without leaving the island.
For Davao City, the JGFP World Team Championships is more than a week-long tournament—it is part of a broader push to use youth sports as a platform for community building, tourism development, and long-term growth of the sport.
