Nailga, Gaccion Dominate JPGT Pueblo for Mindanao Golf Glory

CAGAYAN DE ORO — Alexis Nailga and Ally Gaccion powered through pressure and heat to clinch emphatic victories in the ICTSI Junior PGT Series at Pueblo de Oro, reinforcing their elite status and moving closer to the ICTSI North vs South Elite Junior Finals.

Nailga, fresh off back-to-back wins in Mactan and Del Monte, carded a 73 for a three-round total of five-over 221, beating the field by seven strokes in the boys’ 15-18 division.

“It’s a great feeling to score a three-peat. I now have a strong chance of making it to the national finals,” said Nailga, a protégé of golf legend Frankie Miñoza.

His round was highlighted by a laser approach on the par-4 No. 14 that landed just a grip from the hole.

Despite early pressure from Del Monte teammate Clement Ordeneza, Nailga regained momentum with a birdie on No. 6 and pulled away with closing birdies on Nos. 14 and 16.

CDO’s Armand Copok shot a tournament-best 69 to leap from seventh to second at 228, while Mhark Fernando III settled for third at 229.

On the girls’ side, Gaccion dazzled with a six-under 66 in the final round for a 209 total, crushing the competition in the 15-18 division by 17 shots.

“My putter was really on fire, and I was hitting my approach shots close to the pin,” said Gaccion, who carded seven birdies in her final round.

Her stellar frontside 33 set the tone for a runaway win, with consecutive birdies from No. 12 and a finishing birdie on No. 17 sealing the victory.

Del Monte’s Zero Plete and Crista Miñoza tied for second at 226 after faltering with final rounds of 81 and 80, respectively.

Gaccion credited her win to consistent practice and resilience: “Practice is really important. Because of my schoolwork, I didn’t have a proper training routine and that showed on the first day.”

Bukidnon’s Claren Quiño also shone, winning the girls’ 7-10 crown with a two-day total of 165, fending off hometown contenders Abby Qiu and Francesca Geroy.

“I was happy but nervous when I took the lead,” said Quiño, who credited her comeback win to perseverance.

CDO’s Jamie Barnes matched Quiño’s grit, posting a 149 to win the boys’ 7-10 division for his second straight title in the series.

In the boys’ 11-14 class, Ken Guillermo of CDO tallied a 144 total, beating Valencia’s Marcus Dueñas by 10 strokes.

“My driving, fairway woods and pitching all clicked,” said Margaux Espina, who scored a breakthrough win in the girls’ 11-14 division with a 165 total.

Espina’s consistency helped her defeat Bukidnon’s Angel Wahing by 13 strokes.

The wins secured key points toward qualifying for the North vs South Elite Junior Finals on Oct. 7–10 at The Country Club in Laguna.

Junior golfers from the Davao region will compete next in the Mindanao swing’s final two legs at South Pacific and Apo Golf Clubs this July.

The series, backed by ICTSI and organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc., continues to spotlight rising talent in grassroots Philippine golf.