North survives South rally, wins ICTSI Junior PGT foursomes

CAGAYAN DE ORO — Defending champion Team North weathered a spirited South fightback to secure a crucial 7-5 victory in the foursomes on Day 2 of the ICTSI North vs. South Elite Junior PGT Championship at Pueblo de Oro Golf and Country Club on Wednesday. The win stretched North’s overall lead to five points heading into Thursday’s deciding singles matches.

What initially looked like another North runaway quickly turned into a test of nerve as the visitors built an early advantage in the alternate-shot format. South refused to fold, steadily cutting into the deficit and turning what had been a one-sided contest into a tense finish.

The hosts delivered a string of clutch performances in the closing matches and cut the deficit to 4-6 with two contests remaining. South needed to win both to force a 6-6 draw for the day, but North held firm under pressure.

Jakob Taruc and Nathan Belandres battled back from three holes down to force Clement Ordeneza and Sebastian Sajuela into an all-square finish in the boys’ 15–18 division. Mona Sarines and Kendra Garingalao also halved their girls’ 15–18 match against Tashanah Balangauan and Precious Zaragosa.

Those two halves proved decisive, leaving South with only a split of the final two points and allowing North to complete a 7-5 victory. North consequently stretched its overnight three-point cushion to five points, 14 1/2-9 1/2, putting itself in a strong position for the deciding singles round.

The scoreline, however, did not fully reflect the day’s momentum swings. North controlled the early stages and appeared poised to overwhelm the hosts before South responded by winning key matches and capitalizing on opportunities down the stretch.

By the closing matches, the complexion of the competition had changed dramatically. North team captain Joey Anciano said his side’s comeback in the boys’ 15–18 category was crucial to salvaging a half-point and securing the day’s victory.

“We came from 3-down in the boys’ 15-18 to force a draw. So definitely, the matches today were very, very exciting. Kudos to the other team also, which put up the lineup well,” said Anciano.

Asked what went according to plan and what did not, Anciano pointed to the two all-square matches as the turning point.

“The two all-square matches were very crucial for us. That gave us a 7-5 win today. So it was unexpected, but we’re very fortunate to have that win. Credit to the players for putting their heart out,” he said.

Anciano said North’s original goal was simply to avoid falling behind in the highly unpredictable alternate-shot format.

“Actually, the plan was, at the very least, we get 6-6 today because alternate is a very, very hard format. That makes it very, very unpredictable. So we’re very fortunate that we saved an all-square for the two matches to have a two-point lead today,” he added.

With the deciding singles matches next, Anciano said North would go all-out in its bid to secure the overall victory.

“We hope that the first seven to 10 matches would be in our favor, so we can win the tournament,” he said.

For South team captain Boyet Zaragosa, the biggest setback came in the boys’ 15–18 category, where his team surrendered a sizable late lead. Zaragosa rued the missed opportunity but remained encouraged by his players’ overall performance.

“What failed for us was the boys’ 15-18. We were 3-up going into the last four holes, but they managed to tie the match. Overall, it was a good lineup,” said Zaragosa in Filipino.

Despite South trailing by five points heading into the singles, Zaragosa remained defiant.

“We’ll fight tomorrow,” he said.

He acknowledged, however, that South faces a difficult matchup in the 7–10 category, although he believes his team still has opportunities elsewhere.

“We’re a bit down in the 7-10 category, but we still have a chance in the other matches,” he added.

Zaragosa said momentum could determine the outcome of the singles, making the final day difficult to predict.

“Actually, it’s difficult to match up because all of them (North) are very good. But it still depends on who gets off to a good start because in match play, it’s more about momentum. But it will be exciting,” he said.

South had erased much of North’s early advantage and was threatening to turn the day around before the visitors steadied themselves. The two late all-square finishes denied South the sweep it needed and allowed North to escape with another crucial victory — this time through resilience rather than domination.

The result underscored the competitive nature of the North–South showdown, with South repeatedly battling back despite North’s early control. As on Day 1, North came out firing and won four of the first five matches, including a sweep of the boys’ 11–14 division.

South answered in the boys’ 7–10 class as Stephen Clementer and Ethan Lago produced a late comeback to edge Zach Guico and Kingston Ching, 1-up, on No. 18. Lago blasted out of a greenside bunker to within a pin length before Clementer calmly converted the putt for the victory, drawing loud cheers from the home gallery.

Zoji Edoc and Kenzo Tan responded for North in the other boys’ 7–10 match, beating Lucas Revilleza and Darren Ong, 3 and 1. Javie Bautista and Jacob Casuga rebounded from their four-ball setback with a 5-and-4 rout of Jared Saban and Ken Guillermo, while Chan Ahn and Vito Sarines completed North’s sweep of the boys’ 11–14 division with a 6-and-4 victory over Ralph Batican and Mico Woo.

North also continued to show its strength in the girls’ divisions as Jaicee Cervantes and Andrea Dee made it two straight victories with a 2-and-1 decision over Vanya Go and Soleil Molde. South responded with another clutch performance as Akeisha Yocte and Blake Aguilar pulled ahead late to stun Winter Serapio and Jehanne Mendoza, 2 and 1.

The visitors strengthened their advantage in boys’ 15–18 as Shin Suzuki and Santi Asuncion remained unbeaten as a partnership with a 4-and-3 victory over Alexis Nailga and Roman Tiongko. Cailey Gonzales and Georgina Handog added another North point in girls’ 11–14 by edging Brittany Tamayo and Rafella Batican, 1-up, in another close finish.

At that stage, North appeared firmly in control, but South saved its best for the stretch run and won crucial matches before North salvaged the two decisive halves in the premier divisions. Zuri Bagaloyos and Marqaela Dy earned a hard-fought 2-up victory over Mavis Espedido and Quincy Pilac in girls’ 11–14, preserving their perfect 2-0 record in the series.

Apple Gotiong and Lois Lane Go then capped South’s rally with a convincing 5-and-3 triumph over Lisa Sarines and Rafa Anciano, bouncing back from their four-ball loss. The late surge gave South hope of completing the comeback before North escaped with the two closing halves.

The result continued a familiar pattern from last year’s North–South showdown. North also carried a 14 1/2-9 1/2 advantage after the opening two team formats before taking control in the singles and winning 26 1/2-21 1/2 at The Country Club.

North captured 11 of the 24 singles matches and halved two others on the way to the overall victory. This year’s North side again has a five-point lead to protect, but South has already shown that the deficit is far from insurmountable.

With momentum capable of shifting from match to match, the stage is set for another fiercely contested singles finale. North must protect its lead, while South will try to turn another comeback into a complete turnaround.

Singles matches

North – South

Zach Guico vs. Darren Ong
Kenzo Tan vs. Lucas Revilleza
Zoji Edoc vs. Ethan Lago
Kingston Ching vs. Stephen Clementer
Chan Ahn vs. Jared Saban
Jacob Casuga vs. Mico Woo
Javie Bautista vs. Ken Guillermo
Vito Sarines vs. Ralph Batican
Nathan Belandres vs. Alexis Nailga
Jakob Taruc vs. Clement Ordeneza
Santi Asuncion vs. Sebastian Sajuela
Shin Suzuki vs. Roman Tiongko
Winter Serapio vs. Vanya Go
Jaicee Cervantes vs. Blake Aguilar
Andrea Dee vs. Soleil Molde
Jehanne Mendoza vs. Akeisha Yocte
Quincy Pilac vs. Brittany Tamayo
Mavis Espedido vs. Marqaela Dy
Georgina Handog vs. Rafella Batican
Cailey Gonzales vs. Zuri Bagaloyos
Kendra Garingalao vs. Tashanah Balangauan
Rafa Anciano vs. Apple Gotiong
Mona Sarines vs. Precious Zaragosa
Lisa Sarines vs. Lois Lane Go