Zaragosa, Suzuki gain lead in pressure-packed JPGT Sherwood golf tilt

TRECE MARTIRES, Cavite – The final leg of the seven-stage ICTSI Junior PGT Luzon Series kicked off with fierce determination and intense competition, culminating in tightly contested results at the Sherwood Hills Golf Club here on Tuesday.

In the girls’ 13-15 age category, Precious Zaragosa overcame a late-round slip to regain a one-stroke lead over Kendra Garingalao, finishing with a 79, while Ryuki Suzuki pulled ahead after a shot-for-shot battle with Korean Chan Ahn, closing out with a 36 on the frontside highlighted by a chip-in birdie on the fifth for a 74 and a four-stroke lead.

The windy conditions and the demanding course layout added further challenges to the field, with several players fighting for crucial ranking points in this final leg of the nationwide series organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc. for the Match Play Championship.

The competition is fierce as only the top four results from the seven legs will be counted for final rankings with the top four players from each age group advancing to the national finals, along with the qualifiers from the Visayas and Mindanao series, scheduled for October 1-4 at The Country Club in Laguna.

Zaragosa, winner of the Splendido Taal and Luisita legs, had lost her two-shot advantage at the par-5 No. 8 but capitalized on Garingalao’s last-hole miscue to stay ahead.

“My long game was off, but I made up for it with decent putting,” said the 13-year-old Zaragosa, who is determined to solidify her hold on the No. 3 spot in the rankings for a national finals berth.

She added, “The course is tough, especially the greens, which are very unpredictable. It was also pretty hot, but I drank a lot of water to keep cool.”

Zaragosa’s main competitors, twin sisters Lisa and Mona Sarines, are virtually guaranteed spots in the finals, leading the points standings with 50 and 48 points, respectively. Zaragosa is in third with 46 points, while Levone Talion, currently absent, holds fourth with 43.

Montserrat Lapuz (36 points) and Garingalao (28 points) are still in contention, hoping to secure finals spots with strong finishes in the final two rounds of the 54-hole tournament. But while Garingalao carded an 80, Lapuz struggled with an 85.

In the girls’ 10-12 division, Quincy Pilac strengthened her bid for a finals spot, seizing control with an 82, giving her a two-shot lead over Maurysse Abalos, who posted an 84.

Pilac’s solid performance provided a critical boost in the rankings as she battles Casedy Cuenca for the coveted fourth spot. Pilac now holds 36 points, trailing Aerin Chan (51), Abalos (47), and Georgina Handog (45).

Pilac’s strong start has given her the momentum and confidence needed to secure her place in the finals, while Cuenca faltered, finishing with a 107, behind Althea Bañez’s 88.

“My game felt strong, much better than my previous performance," said Pilac, who boosted her finals bid with a third-place finish at Mount Malarayat last week. "I concentrated on refining my swing and put in a lot of hard work during training, which really helped me post this score.

With a four-stroke lead, Suzuki aims to stay focused, hit as many greens as possible, and make as many birdies in the final round.

Ahn matched Suzuki’s backside 38 and grabbed the lead with a birdie on the first hole. But he struggled with a bogey-triple bogey-bogey finish, slipping back to joint second with Jacob Casuga at 78.

“I haven’t played this course for over a year, so I felt really good to have shot a two-over card,” said Suzuki, a 10-year-old from St. Francis of Assisi, who hones his game at Manila Southwoods.

Javie Bautista carded an 81 in a tie with Mount Malarayat leg winner Inigo Gallardo.

Suzuki, along with absentees Vito Sarines and Jose Luis Espinosa, are assured of finals spots, but the last seat will be fiercely contested by Bautista, Gallardo and Casuga in the final round.

In the boys’ 13-15 division, Luciano Copok surged to the lead with a 76, four strokes clear of two-leg winner and finalist Jose Carlos Taruc, who faltered with an 80. John Paul Agustin Jr., another player already assured of a finals berth, remained in contention for the leg title with an 81 as 36 holes remain in the tournament.

Copok is determined to secure his spot in the finals through the multi-series campaign. He is currently tied for first place in the rankings with absentee Dannuo Zhu, both holding 30 points.

Meanwhile, Zeus Sara, last year’s 15-18 division champion in the JPGT inaugurals, made a stunning return to form, firing a three-under-par 69 to take early command of the boys’ 16-18 division, contested over 72 holes.

The Davao native put on an impressive display, notching two birdies against one bogey on the back nine before catching fire with a birdie-bogey exchange from No. 5, followed by three consecutive birdies. He, however, bogeyed the ninth and finished with a 34-35 for a commanding 10-shot lead over Sebastian Sajuela, who carded a 79.

Patrick Tambalque, the Mount Malarayat leg winner, and fellow finalist but absentee Mark Kobayashi both struggled, with the former posting an 82.

Meanwhile, Francis Slavin, Zachary Villaroman and Rafael Mañaol, all fighting for the last two spots in the premier division, posted rounds of 85, 87 and 88, respectively.  

In the youngest division (8-9), Zoji Edoc shot an impressive 78 to lead by nine strokes over fellow finalist Isonn Angheng (87) in the boys’ side, while Venus delos Santos posted a stellar 74 to lead by five over Eliana Mendoza (79), with Athena Serapio trailing by seven after an 81.