Sarines, Anciano pull off thrillers at Summit Point

1 of 3

LIPA CITY, Batangas — Down by seven strokes and staring at another heartbreak, Vito Sarines turned what seemed like a certain defeat into a stunning triumph, unleashing a furious back-nine charge to snatch the boys’ 11–14 division crown by three shots over Chan Anh with a 65 in the ICTSI Summit Point Junior PGT Championship.

The girls’ 15–18 division also delivered a gripping finish at Summit Point Golf and Country Club, where Rafa Anciano mounted a comeback Thursday. Five strokes behind after 36 holes, Anciano fired a front-nine 36 to pull even, setting up a tense back-nine duel with Kendra Garingalao.

The two traded blows in a battle of nerves and precision. Anciano pulled ahead when Garingalao faltered with a bogey on the 16th, but the momentum shifted again on the next hole when Anciano stumbled, allowing Garingalao to claw back and force another tie.

But Anciano proved steadier when it mattered most, closing with a par and watching Garingalao stumble with a bogey. The slip sealed Anciano’s comeback victory at 239, highlighted by a gritty 74.

Garingalao limped in with an 80 for 240, while Levonne Talion finished third at 246 after a 77.

In the end, Anciano rose above the pressure, delivering when it mattered most and capping a dramatic showdown defined by resilience, shifting momentum and a final-hole test of composure.

Garingalao appeared headed for a dominant win after maintaining control through 36 holes. However, she faltered with five bogeys on the front nine of the final round, then surrendered the lead with bogeys on Nos. 10 and 13. She briefly regained momentum with a birdie on No. 14 to force a tie but could not match Anciano’s steady finish.

In the boys’ premier 15–18 division, Rafael Leonio cruised to a commanding 12-shot victory despite a closing 78, dominating the field over the final two rounds of the 54-hole tournament to capture his first JPGT crown.

Holding a shaky two-shot edge over Korea’s Taeyang Yun after the opening round, Leonio pulled away with a second-round 73 to build a six-shot cushion. He capped his performance with a 42–36 card in the final round, finishing with a 227 total.

Yun failed to mount a challenge after a series of miscues, closing with an 84 to finish at 239, while Bien Fajardo secured third place with a 240 after a 78.

Still haunted by a one-shot setback to the same rival at Mount Malarayat just a week ago, Sarines appeared headed for a similar fate. Despite a front-nine 34 in the final round of the 36-hole tournament late Wednesday, he remained five shots behind, with Anh firmly in control and the title seemingly slipping away once more.

But the momentum shifted dramatically on the back nine.

In a breathtaking display of composure and firepower, Sarines ignited his charge with a four-birdie blitz starting on No. 11, erasing the deficit in a matter of holes and catching Anh at 1-under overall. The pressure began to mount on the Korean standout, who faltered with a costly double bogey on the par-3 13th and dropped another shot on No. 15.

Sensing opportunity, Sarines refused to let up.

He delivered the clincher on the par-3 17th, draining another birdie to seize a two-shot advantage — his first real cushion of the round — before calmly parring the last hole, which Anh bogeyed, to seal a remarkable comeback victory. His closing seven-under round capped a two-day total of 2-under 142.

“I played really well. Everything turned out the way I wanted to,” said the home-schooled Sarines, 13, reflecting on his round. “I hit really good in almost all holes and enjoyed myself out there.”

His comeback also underscored a valuable lesson in resilience.

“I realized that no matter how many strokes I was down going into the round, anything is possible and that I can win,” added Sarines, a multiple-leg winner on the Junior PGT circuit.

Anh, who looked poised to repeat his earlier triumph, limped in with a 75 and a 145 total, while Javie Bautista placed third with a 73 for 151.

Sarines’ stirring triumph stood out in a tournament largely marked by dominant performances, as Zach Guico and Andrea Dee secured the 7–10 titles with commanding five-shot victories. Cailey Gonzales claimed the girls’ 11–14 crown by four shots, while Leonio and Anciano won the 15–18 titles.