Levonne Talion turned a losing stand into a winning run, while Roman Ungco dominated as they topped their respective divisions with 42 and 53 points, respectively, in Round 3 of the ICTSI Junior PGT Series’ 18-hole stroke play tournament at the Valley Golf Club’s North course in Antipolo last Sunday.
Talion birdied the 18th for an 84 in medal play to complete a clutch two-shot swing as Rafa Anciano bogeyed the closing par-4 hole in an earlier flight, enabling the former to score a repeat of her feat in the girls’ 13-14 division at Mt. Malarayat in Batangas, where she nipped the latter by one point last month.
Anciano dropped four strokes in the last three holes, including a double-bogey on No. 16, and finished with an 85 worth 41 points, while Talion charged back with a bogey-bogey-birdie finish to spike her fightback from three strokes down for the victory in the one-day tournament played under the Molave scoring system.
Chloe Lim actually made it a three-way battle as she tied Talion at 11-over with three holes left. However, she posted a bogey-bogey-triple bogey windup for third place with an 88 for 38 points in the Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.-organized event, which drew a huge field of 45 players in three age-group classes (boys’ and girls’ 9-10, boys’ and girls’ 11-12, and girls’ 13-14).
While Talion won in a cliffhanger, Ungco ran away with the boys’ 11-12 trophy as he bucked a double bogey-bogey start with a birdie-eagle-par-birdie feat from No. 6. He made the turn at one-under 35 and closed out with a 38 that included two more birdies for an impressive one-over 73 for 53 points.
Ungco beat Jacobo Gomez by 12 points as the latter scored 41 points on a gross 85, while Aenzo Sulaik ended up third as he lost to Gomez in the countback after also carding 41 points.
In the boys’ 9-10 side, Ryuji Suzuki fired 53 points from a gross 73 for a six-point victory over Jacob Casuga, who shot 47 points from a 79, while Mt. Malarayat leg winner Vito Sarines ended up third with 45 points from a gross 81.
Maurysse Abalos took the girls’ 9-10 diadem with 37 points from an 89, one point better than Quincy Pilac, who had 36 points from a gross 91, while Margaux Namoco edged Kelsey Bernardino in the countback for third with 33 points after both finished with 93s.
Precious Zaragosa also foiled sisters Mona and Lisa Sarines in the girls’ 11-12 category, winning with 50 points from a gross 76, as Mona scored 48 points after a 78, while Lisa shot a 79 worth 47 points.
