Copok Eyes Title at ICTSI South Pacific Junior Golf Leg

Rising golf talent Armand Copok is setting his sights on a breakthrough victory as he enters the ICTSI South Pacific Junior PGT Championship in Davao on July 9 with renewed confidence and top form.

After a third-place finish at Del Monte and a runner-up spot at Pueblo de Oro, the 16-year-old British School Manila standout is poised for a title run in the boys’ 15–18 division.

“I’m more comfortable with my swing now and everything’s starting to fall into place,” said Copok, who fired a bogey-free three-under 69 in the final round at Pueblo—the lowest in his category that week.

That strong finish saw him vault from seventh to second, trailing only Alexis Nailga, who completed a rare three-leg sweep.

But in Copok’s eyes, the late surge was more than a comeback—it was a clear statement of intent.

Set at the challenging South Pacific Golf and Residential Estates course, the third leg of the Mindanao swing in the Visayas-Mindanao Series features a competitive field of Mindanao and Visayas talents.

Among the local favorites in the 15–18 age group are Davao’s Adrian Bisera, Matthew Reyes, Caleb Go, Stuarto Co, AJ Wacan, Felix Bula III and Angelo Curayag, joined by Cebu’s Eric Jeon and CDO’s Seth Santos.

The tournament serves as a key stop in the race to the ICTSI North vs South Elite Junior Finals, where only the top four players per division—based on rankings across seven events—will qualify for the Oct. 7–10 championship at The Country Club in Laguna.

In addition to the premier division, action will be fierce in five other age groups, including the boys’ and girls’ 7–10 and 11–14 categories and the girls’ 15–18 division.

In the girls’ 11–14 category, South Cotabato’s Brittany Tamayo, a Mactan leg winner, will face off against Del Monte champion Kimberly Baroquillo.

They are joined by Cebu’s Zuri Bagaloyos, GenSan’s Julia Movilla, Bukidnon’s Yvonne Colim, and local bets Coleen Ang, Solana Molde and Ayla Pavadora.

Meanwhile, Del Monte winner Soleil Molde returns to action in the girls’ 7–10 division after skipping the Pueblo leg and will be challenged by Mactan titlist Eliana Mendoza.

With both titles and ranking points at stake, the South Pacific leg promises another thrilling chapter in the junior golf circuit as young standouts like Copok look to build momentum on the road to Laguna.