Buenaventura, Lua shine in IIT golf tour opener

1 of 2

SAN RAFAEL, Bulacan – University of the Philippines-1’s Joshua Buenaventura displayed poise, grit and top-level shotmaking to kick off his campaign in the ICTSI Intercollegiate Tour with a three-under 69, capturing the men’s individual title in Friday’s opening round at Royal Northwoods Golf Club.

Buenaventura also anchored UP-1’s victory in the men’s team event, teaming up with Miggy Roque (77) for a 146 aggregate to claim the first-leg crown in the four-stage series that culminates Sept. 23–25 at Splendido Taal.

Emilio Carpio carded a 77 for UP-1 but did not count in the three-to-play, two-to-count format.

La Salle-1 took second with a 150 total behind Zachary Castro’s 71 and Jose Lorenzo Flores’ 79, while Ateneo-2 placed third with a 151, led by Ricardo Joson’s ace-boosted 73 and Matthew Mendoza’s 78.

“It’s all about practice and hard work,” said Buenaventura, 20.

“My iron play and putting were the highlights, especially since I wasn’t driving particularly well.”

Reflecting on UP-1’s win, he added, “The campus battle was really nice, especially with this being our first victory. It feels pretty good.”

He also expressed optimism moving forward: “Hopefully, we’ll do even better in the next round. We have high expectations, and with more training, we’re aiming for another championship.”

In the women’s division, La Salle-1’s Julia Lua carded an 84 to edge UP-1’s Adrienne Manhit (87) by three strokes, earning the distinction of being the tour’s inaugural women’s individual champion.

The tour was launched by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc. and the Philippine Golf Foundation to promote elite-level play for varsity and independent entries.

Ateneo-1’s Monique Mendoza finished third with an 89.

Lua, 19, credited her fairway woods for salvaging the round.

“I relied on them a lot to save my score,” she said.

She also emphasized adapting to unpredictable weather.

“The key was adjusting to the course. The rain came on and off, and the wind picked up, so I had to stay flexible and make adjustments as much as I could.”

Lua echoed Buenaventura’s thoughts on the inter-campus format.

“The campus battle is definitely exciting. It’s fun to see how other teams match up against ours,” she said.

“It’s great to see so many women playing well — the competition is really strong.”

Lua also won the tour’s soft launch at Sherwood Hills last month, where Buenaventura tied for third.

Ateneo-1 claimed the women’s team title behind Mendoza’s 89 and Simi Tinio’s 90 for a 179 total.

They finished seven strokes ahead of La Salle-1’s Lua and Janine Yusay, who combined for a 186.

UP-1 placed third with a 188 aggregate from Manhit’s 87 and Katrisse Datoc’s 101.

Mendoza said the team’s preparation focused on individual training.

“Our main expectation was just to have fun, meet other players and get a feel for the course — especially with the weather being so unpredictable,” she said.

“We’re hoping to focus more on training and team building moving forward.”

Buenaventura’s 69 featured five birdies against two bogeys, highlighting his control and confidence throughout the round.

He started on No. 2 in a shotgun format and found early rhythm with a birdie-bogey-birdie stretch from No. 3.

He edged Castro, who bounced back from two-over with birdies on Nos. 11, 12 and 15 to finish with a 71 while playing in the same group as Buenaventura.

Joson placed third individually with a 73, highlighted by a hole-in-one on his opening hole — the 148-yard No. 7 — using a Miura CB-302 8-iron and a TaylorMade TP5x Pix ball.

It marked Joson’s first ace and earned him PHP5,000 in cash and PHP5,000 worth of consumables from the host club.

University of the Cordilleras’ Ranz Balay-odao impressed in his debut, tying College of St. Benilde’s Sean Granada for fourth with identical 74s.

The performance proved Balay-odao’s potential to compete with Metro Manila-based programs.

Buenaventura, Lua and the winning teams each earned 15 points toward the race to the grand finals.

The top three teams and individuals — including independents — will qualify based on their best two finishes out of four legs.

The men’s tour resumes July 27 at Splendido Taal.

The women’s second round is set for Aug. 9 at Caliraya Springs in Cavinti, Laguna, with both divisions returning for Round 3 on Aug. 11 at Pradera Verde.

The men’s final leg takes place Aug. 17 at Beverly Hills Golf Club in Pampanga, while the women’s Round 4 will be held Aug. 24 at Eastridge Golf Club in Rizal.