Jet Hernandez and young Lisa Sarines stayed red-hot and unrelenting on Thursday, opening commanding leads in their respective divisions of the NGAP National Stroke Play Championship, leaving the rest of the field scrambling to catch up heading into the final two rounds.
The 21-year-old Hernandez fired 10 birdies en route to a second straight seven-under-par 65, stretching his lead in the men’s division to a whopping 12 strokes over Rolando Bregente at the halfway mark with a 36-hole aggregate of 130.
Meanwhile, the 14-year-old Sarines carded an even-par 72 on a challenging day at the Pinatubo course of Pradera Verde, posting a 142 total and opening a seven-shot advantage over Tashanah Balangauan in the women’s division.
With the weather improving, scoring in the men’s field was slightly better than in the opening round. Hernandez, however, remained on another level, opening with back-to-back birdies and closing the same way for another flawless performance that no one else in the field came close to matching.
Effectively, the defending champion after winning the tournament in 2024, before it was not held last year, Hernandez said he intends to approach the final two rounds with the same mindset that fueled his dominant start.
“There are still two rounds to be played,” the psychology senior at the University of Denver said. “I will have the same mindset, the same goals, and will stay in the present and stay calm (for the last two rounds).”
Chris Remata, also a member of the national men’s pool alongside Hernandez and Bregente, shot an even-par 72, while Jed Dy carded a 71 to sit just one stroke behind Bregente and remain well within striking distance of a podium finish. Vito Sarines, the 13-year-old who started the day in second place seven shots behind Hernandez, struggled to a 78 and now trails by 20 strokes.
Also in contention for a top-three finish are Paolo Barro and Emilio Hernandez, who shot 74 and 75, respectively, to sit at 148, just one stroke behind Remata. Jacob Rolida is two shots further back, tied with Vito Sarines after a 76.
In the women’s division, Lisa Sarines overcame a sluggish start after reaching two-over through her first 10 holes. She recovered with birdies on Nos. 11 and 17 to salvage an even-par round and maintain a comfortable lead.
Balangauan, a multiple-leg winner on the Junior PGT circuit, carded a 76 after making seven bogeys and will likely need a very low round on Friday to mount a serious title challenge. She remains five shots ahead of third-running Precious Zaragosa, who also turned in a 76.
Johanna Uyking sits 16 strokes behind Lisa Sarines after a 77, while Crista Minoza is another shot back following an uncharacteristic 80 that featured seven bogeys and a double bogey on the 18th hole.
