MANILA, Philippines - It was a hard fight for Annyka Pineda-Cayabyab and a breeze for Sean Granada in topping the 9-10 years division of The ICTSI Junior Championship, the national qualifying event for the Junior World, recently at the par-62 Capitol Hills Golf and Country Club.
Cayabyab, a fifth grader at the OB Montessori Greenhills who trailed by as many as seven strokes on opening day, outduelled Eagle Ace Superal in a final round shootout with a closing 67 – her best round of the tournament – and even won by six strokes.
The daughter of a former cager and a Pampanga mayor finished at 286 while Superal, the youngest among four golfing siblings, carded a 72 and wound up at 292.
They took the two slots disputed over four testing rounds at the hazard-laden course for the Junior World trip this coming July in San Diego, California.
Granada, the chubby son of a teaching pro, was way ahead before he teed off and he formalized the runaway victory with a 72 for a 270 total.
Sean Jean Ramos (72-305) and Maio Castaneda (76-310) claimed the two other slots.
Cayabyab thus continued her hot form in the summer with another victory under the tutelage of coach Norman Sto. Domingo barely a week after leading TJGL-Navy to a sweep of the Division 2 team and individual awards in the Interclub meet at Splendido. She clocked at 2:27:15.