JPGT Match Play hopefuls face stern test at Luisita

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The Luzon series of the ICTSI Junior PGT Match Championship resumes at the renowned Luisita Golf and Country Club in Tarlac tomorrow (Tuesday), where over 60 aspiring young golfers will tackle one of the country’s most formidable courses.

Designed by the legendary Robert Trent Jones, Sr., Luisita is celebrated for its tight fairways, water hazards on 11 holes, and its sleek surface, making it a true test of skill and strategy.

The course has previously hosted prestigious events such as the Philippine Open, the Asian Tour and the Philippine Golf Tour Asia, and is also home to the President’s Cup.

This setting promises a competitive showdown across all four age categories, with each player in the 8-9, 10-12, 13-15 and 16-18 age groups fighting not only for top honors but also for crucial ranking points.

Key competitors in the 8-9 division include Athena Serapio and Zoji Edoc, while the 10-12 category features Aerin Chan, Brianna Macaset, Georgina Handog, Kelsey Bernardino, Casedy Cuenca (girls), and Luis Espinosa, Ryuji Suzuki and Jacob Casuga (boys).

In the 13-15 age group, twins Lisa and Mona Sarines, Precious Zaragosa and Montserrat Lapuz (girls) and Jose Carlos Taruc, Santi Asuncion and Matthias Espina (boys) will be vying for top positions, while the 16-18 division will showcase talents such as Rafa Anciano, Chloe Rada, Lia Duque and Angelica Bañez (girls), and Mark Kobayashi and Zachary Villaroman (boys).

The Luzon series will consider the top four scores from each player, with the best four from each category advancing to the finals scheduled for Oct. 1-4 at The Country Club. Thirty-two qualifiers from the Visayas and Mindanao series will join them.

For players competing in multiple series of the nationwide circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc., only their top three results will be counted, with the leading player from each age category moving on to the Match Play finals.

After the Luisita leg, the non-profit circuit put up by ICTSI to boost the grassroots development of the sport, will take a week-long break and will resume with its penultimate stage at Mount Malarayat Golf and Country Club in Lipa City, Batangas from Sept. 2-5. The series will conclude at Sherwood Hills in Cavite from Sept. 10-13.

For registration, contact Jhi Castillo at 0928-316-5678 or Shiela Salvania at 0968-311-4101.

Additional players to watch this week include Tyra Garingalao, Venus delos Santos, Amiya Tablac, Jesus Yambao and Isonn Angheng (8-9); Althea Bañez, Makayla Verano, Sofia Karpa, Quincy Pilac, Iñigo Gallardo, Nathan Yeung, and Vince Tablac (10-12); Kendra Garingalao, Monica Angheng, Zyriel Datuin, Janneia Mataban, John Paul Agustin, Jr. (13-15); and Rafael Mañaol, Alonso Espartero, Rolly Duran, Von Tablac, Francis Slavin and Andrew Magadia in the boys’ 16-18 class.