Finals-bound Taruc, Anciano split JPGT John Hay honors

1 of 2

BAGUIO CITY – With spots in the Elite Junior Finals already secured, Jakob Taruc and Rafa Anciano could have coasted through the ICTSI John Hay Junior PGT Championship.

Instead, they delivered focused and high-level performances to rule the premier 15–18 division—albeit in contrasting styles.

Taruc battled through a gritty, pressure-packed finale to notch his first leg victory of the season, while Anciano cruised to a dominant win in the girls’ side.

Taruc, 17, benefited from the absence of No. 4-ranked Kristoffer Nadales but still had to dig deep to edge Andres Fabie in a dramatic final round.

Trailing by a stroke entering the day, Taruc fired a 74 to complete a 54-hole total of 222 and secure a three-shot win under overcast skies at the challenging John Hay Golf Club.

Fabie, who led after 36 holes and looked primed for a breakthrough after five previous starts, faltered late with a 78 and finished second at 225.

Alonso Espartero, who matched Taruc’s final round of 74, bogeyed the last two holes to finish third at 228.

Fabie staged a strong fightback with a three-shot swing on the par-3 11th—carding a birdie while Taruc double-bogeyed—regaining the lead momentarily.

But Taruc quickly responded on the very next hole with a birdie on the par-4 12th, as Fabie slipped with a double bogey.

Another bogey on 13 and a double bogey on 14 saw Fabie fall three shots behind, sealing Taruc’s victory.

Taruc, who finished second at Pradera Verde and third at Splendido Taal, is now tied with Pradera leg winner Zachary Villaroman at third in the overall points standings with 37.

Patrick Tambalque leads with 45 points, followed by Shinichi Suzuki with 39.

Nadales, who entered the leg with 32 points, was forced to withdraw due to prior commitments, allowing Taruc to clinch the last finals berth in the Luzon series organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc.

While Taruc ground out every shot, Anciano dominated the girls’ division, wrapping up the tournament with a 54-hole total of 222—including a two-over 71 in the final round—to win by a staggering 26 strokes.

The Mandaluyong standout, who already secured the top finals seed by winning three of the first four legs, skipped the fifth and sixth legs to reset and returned with a resounding statement win.

Tiffany Bernardino carded an 82 to finish second with a 248 total, which earned her the third finals berth with 34 points.

Chloe Rada shot an 85 for a 258 total, dropping to fourth in the overall standings with 32 points but still clinched the final finals spot.

Levonne Talion, who was absent but already qualified, retained second place in the overall rankings with 39 points.

Also earning podium finishes and Elite Junior Finals slots were Ronee Dungca and Zoji Edoc in the 7–10 division, and siblings Lisa and Vito Sarines in the 11–14 division.

They will join the Luzon delegation in the Ryder Cup-style team event against Visayas–Mindanao counterparts set for Oct. 7–10 at The Country Club in Laguna.