Top jungolfers clash in ICTSI match play

MANILA, Philippines — After a nationwide campaign under grueling conditions, 63 of the country’s top young golfers battle it out in the ICTSI Junior PGT National Match Play Finals from Oct. 2-4 at The Country Club in Laguna.

Competing not just for bragging rights but also to cement themselves as the best in their age divisions, these young talents are primed for intense head-to-head duels.

The championship format mirrors the annual professional match play event, renowned for its unpredictability and the thrilling one-on-one encounters it produces. The finalists were culled from a seven-leg Luzon series, a four-stage Mindanao qualifier, and a three-part Visayas eliminator, along with five players who advanced through multi-series campaigns.

Participants, grouped into boys’ and girls’ divisions across four age brackets – 8-9, 10-12, 13-15, and 16-18 – will first undergo an 18-hole stroke play competition on Oct. 2 to determine rankings. This serves as the Phase 1 opener before the dramatic head-to-head clashes in Phase 2, an 18-hole match play.

For the youngest division, the 8-9 age group, match play will also be held on Oct. 2, with quarterfinal matches in all categories scheduled for Oct. 3.