Dungca storms into JPGT Finals, dominates John Hay leg

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BAGUIO CITY – Ronee Dungca barged into the ICTSI Elite Junior Finals the hard way but did so in emphatic fashion, sharing the top spot in the girls 7–10 age group with a 71 at the close of a rain-disrupted John Hay JPGT Championship on Wednesday.

Despite missing the first four legs of the seven-stage regional tour, Dungca made a stunning late-season charge. The nine-year-old swept the last three legs, matching Mavis Espedido’s three-leg sweep—each worth 45 points—to advance to the finals of the season-long, course-hopping series designed to discover and develop young talent from across the provinces.

Dungca, Espedido and two others will now square off with the top qualifiers from the Visayas–Mindanao swing in a Ryder Cup–style showdown set for Oct. 7–10 at The Country Club in Laguna.

Dungca’s closing two-over card gave her a 36-hole total of 143 for a 12-shot victory over Tyra Garingalao of Carmona, Cavite, who posted a 75 for 155. Amiya Tablac of Baguio City finished third with 163 after an 80.

Venus delos Santos, who was in third place in the overall standings before the final leg, recovered from a disastrous opening-round 92 with a 74. But Dungca’s spectacular finish ultimately denied the Bulacan native a place in the finals.

Winter Serapio seized the third finals berth with 37 points, while Garingalao clinched the fourth and final slot with 36 points—buoyed by the crucial 12 points she earned for her runner-up finish.

Delos Santos wound up with 34 points.

Dungca began the final round with the same fiery form that marked her opening performance, carding three birdies early on. However, she also repeated her struggles—double-bogeying the fourth and dropping strokes on Nos. 6 and 9.

Still, the Angeles City prodigy rebounded with birdies on Nos. 10 and 12. But the par-5 16th again proved to be her nemesis, as she dropped two shots there for the second straight day. Then came the weather.

As Dungca approached the par-3 finishing hole, heavy rains swept through the John Hay course, prompting organizers Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. to suspend play in the 11–14 and 15–18 age group divisions for over an hour and a half.

The sudden downpour turned the already challenging layout into a test of endurance and focus, with puddles forming on fairways and greens and visibility sharply reduced. Despite the tough conditions, Dungca held her nerve to complete her round, bogeying the last hole but securing her place atop the leaderboard.

In the boys 7–10 division, Zoji Edoc emerged as the winningest player, securing four leg victories. He capped his campaign with a second straight 71 for a 142 total—10 strokes ahead of local favorite Marco Angheng, who finished with 152 after a 78.

Michael Matias of Quezon City placed third at 175, followed by Samuel Ababa (100–182) and Jethro Bayron (106–205).

Edoc, a bronze medalist in the recent Junior World Championships in San Diego, also shared the top finals seeding with Zach Guico, both earning 45 points. Asher Abad and Halo Pangilinan completed the list of finalists with 34 points each.

The players’ top three results from the seven-leg Luzon series determined their final rankings.

The battle for the last two finals slots in the boys 11–14 division delivered a dramatic finish, with Vito Sarines rallying after a long rain delay to clinch a one-stroke victory over Zianbeau Edoc.

Sarines came through in the clutch with birdies on Nos. 16 and 17, firing a 67 to complete a 135 aggregate in the 36-hole tournament.

Edoc, who led most of the way, answered with a birdie on the 16th to keep pace. However, a costly bogey on the 17th resulted in a two-shot swing, giving Sarines the edge. Both parred the final hole, sealing Sarines’ narrow win and dashing Edoc’s bid for a three-leg sweep.

Despite the loss, Edoc, who only joined the last three legs, still posted an impressive campaign, finishing with two wins and a runner-up finish. His closing 67 gave him a 136 total and 42 points overall, matching the outputs of Sarines and absentee Ryuji Suzuki as they secured the top three finals spots.

Sarines’ late surge and Edoc’s strong finish ultimately ended Race Manhit’s finals hopes. Manhit delivered the round of the day with a 66, highlighted by a four-birdie blitz from No. 11, but a first-round 73 left him at 139 overall—good for third place but not enough to overtake absentee Jacob Casuga in the points race.

Manhit needed at least a runner-up finish to surpass Casuga’s 35 points, earned from a win and two third-place finishes. Instead, his third-place finish, worth just 10 points, kept his total at 34.

In the girls 11–14 division, Lisa Sarines secured another leg victory despite a shaky finish, carding a second straight 69 for a 138 total to edge out her twin sister, Mona, by one stroke.

Mona held the overnight lead after a 67 in the first round but faltered with a 73 on Day 2 to slip to second at 140. Kendra Garingalao rounded out the top three with 158 after a final-round 77.

The Sarines twins had already locked up the top two finals slots earlier in the series. Garingalao secured the third berth with 32 points, while Alexie Gabi claimed the fourth and final spot with 26.

The boys 15–18 division delivered a surprise as Andres Fabie surged ahead despite a closing double-bogey on No. 9 after an eagle-2 on the par-4 No. 8 in wet conditions. He carded a one-over 70 and grabbed a one-stroke lead over Jakob Taruc heading into the final round of the 54-hole tournament.

Fabie, whose best finish in four previous legs was only fourth, now holds the top spot with 147. Taruc slipped with a 72 for a 148, while former co-leader Alonso Espartero stumbled to a 78, dropping to 154.

Though outside the top four, Fabie is aiming to cap an otherwise challenging campaign with a breakthrough victory. However, Taruc is expected to push hard for the win, as he is poised to join Patrick Tambalque, Shinichi Suzuki and Zachary Villaroman in the finals.

In the girls premier division, Rafa Anciano pulled away with a commanding 15-shot lead after carding a 74 for a two-day total of 151. Tiffany Bernardino faltered with an 85 but held second at 166, while Chloe Rada stayed in third with 173 after an 88.

Regardless of the final-round outcome, Anciano, Bernardino, Rada and absentee Levonne Talion have already secured their finals spots.