Espedido Leads JPGT Title Defense; Edoc, Sarines on Top

TRECE MARTIRES, Cavite – Mavis Espedido opened her title defense in dominant fashion, carding a 76 to take a three-stroke lead over Venus Delos Santos in the girls 7-10 division of the ICTSI Sherwood Hills Junior PGT Championship on Tuesday.

The nine-year-old standout from Anvaya Cove started the 36-hole tournament much like she did at Eagle Ridge two weeks ago, where she led from start to finish and won by 14 strokes in the first leg of the seven-stage Luzon series of the nationwide junior tour, which also includes the VizMin series.

Despite the strong start, Espedido wasn’t fully satisfied with her round of 37-39 under intense heat.

“My game was kind of bad. I kept getting bogeys and even had a double bogey,” she said, although three birdies helped offset her miscues.

“Tomorrow I’ll try to bounce back and go for back-to-back wins so I can gain more points,” she added, vowing to stay focused and limit mistakes in the final round of the tournament organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc.

Delos Santos also made three birdies but struggled with two bogeys, two double bogeys and a quadruple bogey to finish at 79.

Athena Serapio carded an 88 to fall 12 shots behind, while Penelope Sy, Tyra Garingalao and Amiya Tablac posted 90, 93 and 100, respectively.

In the boys 7-10 category, Zoji Edoc took a major step toward redemption after narrowly missing out at Eagle Ridge, shooting an 81 to build a commanding 17-stroke lead over Halo Pangilinan, who turned in a 98.

Michael Ray Hortel II followed with a 100, while Alexian Ching was at 102.

Edoc’s highlight was a scrambling par on the seventh hole, where he chipped to tap-in range.

“Playing on this course isn’t bad, and I’ll try to break 81 tomorrow,” he said.

In the boys 11-14 division, Vito Sarines birdied the final hole to cap a 76 and edge past Eagle Ridge leg winner Ryuji Suzuki by one stroke heading into the final round.

Suzuki mounted a late charge with back-to-back birdies on Nos. 16 and 17 to finish with a 77, setting the stage for a high-stakes finale.

Sarines, who tied for third in the previous leg, briefly lost his lead after bogeying No. 17 but bounced back with a birdie on No. 18.

“My round could’ve been better, but I’m still very happy,” said the 12-year-old Sarines, who finished with four bogeys, a double bogey and two birdies.

“It wasn’t that windy, but it was so hot I got dizzy at one point. I just relied on my short game when my irons weren’t working,” added the rising talent from Riviera Golf and Country Club.

Looking to secure the win and avenge his previous loss to Suzuki, Sarines vowed to “do my best, stay calm, stay focused, and hopefully score well.”

Suzuki, just one stroke behind, remains a strong contender entering what promises to be a thrilling final round between two of the division’s top players.