Last-gasp win propels Batican to JPGT Elite Junior Finals

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BACOLOD CITY – Rafella Batican needed nothing short of a victory to secure her place in the Elite Junior Finals – and she delivered in commanding fashion.

The 11-year-old standout from Bukidnon pulled off a decisive 13-stroke win over Andrea Borromeo on Friday here, sealing the girls’ 11-14 division title of the ICTSI Bacolod Junior PGT Championship despite a 77.

Batican set the tone with a gutsy opening-round 72, punctuated by four birdies at the challenging Bacolod Golf and Country Club. But she had to grind through tougher, hotter conditions in the final round of the 36-hole tournament, managing only one birdie against six bogeys and a double bogey in a 39-38 finish.

Her two-day total of 149 proved enough to earn 15 valuable points, lifting her Visayas-Mindanao series total to 35 and tying absentee Isabella Espina for fourth overall. By virtue of a countback, Batican edged out Espina to claim the last ticket to the Finals, joining Brittany Tamayo, Kimberly Baroquillo and Zuri Bagaloyos in the championship set for Sept. 30 to Oct. 3 at The Country Club.

“It feels amazing to win again – it’s been a while,” said Batican. “I’m excited to compete in the Finals.”

Batican finished with 222 points against Espina’s 239. These totals were based on each player’s best three scores relative to par.

Borromeo carded a second 81 for a 162, while Chelsea Ogborne placed third with a 172, also after an 81.

The win was especially sweet for Batican, who had a rough start to the season. She only finished fourth in the Mactan leg and skipped the next four tournaments in the seven-leg regional series organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.

With the Finals requiring at least three legs played, she committed to the final two. After falling short against Bagaloyos at Marapara last Tuesday, she knew she had to go all out in Bacolod – and she did.

“The pressure to win was strong,” said Batican, who capped her final round with a six-foot birdie putt on No. 9. “But once I focused and stayed positive, I was able to hit better shots.”

Unaware that only a win would secure her spot in the Finals, Batican said she leaned on the lessons she’s picked up throughout her young career.

“You just have to stay positive and never let bad shots get to you,” she said. “You always have a chance to bounce back.”

Ralph Batican capped off a dominant performance with a wire-to-wire victory, following his scorching opening-round 62 with a 70 to finish at an impressive eight-under 132. His two-day total earned him a commanding 32-stroke win in the boys’ 11-14 division over Miguel Mesina, who closed with an 80 for a 164 total. JM Sabrosa took third place at 172 after posting an 84.

Ralph, who also clinched the Marapara title last Tuesday, opened with a solid, eagle-spiked eight-under round and seemed poised for a bogey-free run after carding two birdies on the front nine. However, a double bogey on the 13th hole disrupted his momentum, and he settled for a 33-37. Still, the score proved more than enough to outclass the field for the second straight time.

Meanwhile, Davao’s Lucas Revilleza secured his spot in the national finals after topping the boys’ 7-10 category with back-to-back rounds of 73 for a 146 total. He bested Marapara leg winner Ethan Lago by eight shots, as Lago closed with a 76 for 154. Tobias Tiongko rounded out the podium with a 169 after an 82.

The victory brought Revilleza’s points total to 39, placing him third in the overall rankings behind James Barnes (45) and Lago (42). Kvan Alburo claimed the fourth and final Finals berth with 34 points, despite skipping the last two legs.

In the girls’ 7-10 division, Bacolod’s Ana Marie Aguilar clinched the title with a 169 total after an 86, fending off a strong final-round charge from Francesca Geroy of Cagayan de Oro, who rebounded with an 81 after opening with a 91 for a 172 total. Faith Reosura finished third with a 177 after carding an 87.

Although Aguilar won the leg, she fell short of qualifying for the national finals, having not played enough JPGT events. Geroy, on the other hand, earned 12 points for her runner-up finish, bringing her total to 32 – just enough to clinch the fourth and final Finals slot, joining Denise Mendoza (45), Soleil Molde (42) and Claren Quiño (39).

“It feels good to win – it boosts my confidence,” said Aguilar, a 9-year-old from St. Scholastica’s Academy-Bacolod. She credited her victory to strong chipping and putting but acknowledged the need to improve her second shots and driving.

“I kept missing the greens. I need to improve on my driving,” she said, adding that her two-tournament experience taught her an important lesson: “Never give up. Even if you have a bad shot, keep going.”

In the 54-hole girls’ 15-18 division, Cebuana Tashanah Balangauan moved closer to back-to-back victories, firing a second straight 71 for a 142 aggregate. Precious Zaragosa struggled for the second day with another 76, falling 10 strokes behind at 152. Breanna Rojas remained third after an 86 for a 176 total.

“I’m happy with how I managed the two rounds. I’ve been playing consistently,” said Balangauan, who staged a final-round comeback to beat Zaragosa by two at Marapara last week.

With a commanding lead, she remains focused on “taking it one shot at a time and managing my mistakes,” while emphasizing the importance of early momentum and hitting fairways and greens.

On the boys’ 15-18 side, Bacolod’s John Rey Oro surged into a tie for the lead after a strong backside start of 32 helped him to a three-under 69, offsetting a shaky front nine finish. He shares the top spot at 146 with Mhark Fernando III, who posted a second straight 73.

Marapara leg winner John Paul Oro also mounted a charge with a 71 for a 147 total, setting the stage for an exciting finale in the last leg of the Vis-Min series.