Top Juniors Clash as JPGT Mactan Tees Off

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MACTAN, Cebu — The ICTSI Mactan Island Junior PGT Championship kicks off today, May 5, with Visayas-based standouts banking on course familiarity to fend off a determined Mindanao delegation in the launch of the VisMin leg of the nationwide Junior Philippine Golf Tour.

The 54-hole tournament at the par-72 Mactan Island Golf Course marks the start of seven regional legs where players across three age categories aim to earn ranking points toward a spot in the prestigious North vs. South Elite Junior Finals set for Sept. 30 to Oct. 2 at The Country Club.

While Cebu’s contingent, led by Apple Gotiong, Lois Laine Go, and Niña Balangauan, enjoys the so-called “homecourt advantage,” a strong Mindanao squad led by Davao’s Precious Zaragosa and Cagayan de Oro’s Kenley Yu is poised to challenge in the 15-18 girls and boys divisions.

Bukidnon’s Alexis Nailga enters the boys’ 15-18 fray against Visayan talents Yosef and Jose Tiongko III, Ritchie Go, Bacolod’s Inno Flores, and Mandaue’s Zeus Suzara.

The youngest category (7-10) will feature a competitive 36-hole duel, with Cebu’s Denise Mendoza and Skye Yocte facing Cagayan de Oro’s Sistine Marie Yu in the girls’ field, and James Rolida and Franco Lago of Mindanao challenging Charles Tan, Ethan Ong, Tobias Tiongko, and Anthony Avila in the boys’ division.

A highly anticipated duel looms in the 11-14 girls’ division between South Cotabato’s Brittany Tamayo and Bukidnon’s Rafella Batican, both considered rising stars in the junior golf circuit.

Tamayo, the reigning 10-12 division champion who clinched the JPGT Match Play title last year, returns with high expectations following her dominant 2023 run.

“Her blend of consistency, poise and shot-making prowess positions her as the player to beat,” said one event official familiar with her recent form.

Batican, however, is no pushover, determined to upset the favorites and elevate her growing competitive profile in junior golf.

Also contending in the division are Bacolod’s Chelsea Ogborne, Cagayan de Oro’s Margaux Espina, and Cebu-based Monique Tan, Daven Dy, Davelyn Dy, and Mandaue’s Zuri Bagaloyos, each capable of making a podium push.

The boys’ 11-14 bracket features an equally intense matchup between Ralph Batican of Bukidnon and South Cotabato’s Jared Saban, with support challenges expected from South Cotabato’s Marco Senador, CDO’s Ken Guillermo, and Visayan bets including Isaac Luis Locsin and Cebuanos Braxton Gesta, Miguel Astor, Miguel Mesina, and Jason Tan.

Despite the flat terrain, Mactan’s course complexity—tight fairways, tricky wind conditions, and well-placed hazards—offers little margin for error, rewarding players with local knowledge but punishing miscalculations.

The Visayas-Mindanao series continues at Negros Occidental Golf and Country Club (Marapara) from May 14-16, followed by Bacolod Golf and Country Club in Murcia from May 19-21, before heading to Del Monte Golf Club in Bukidnon from June 25-27 for the Mindanao swing.

The Junior PGT, launched in 2023 by ICTSI, aims to develop provincial golf talent and build a strong pipeline for the national team and potential international contenders.

“With every leg, we’re seeing more depth and intensity across all divisions,” said a Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc. spokesperson. “This bodes well for the future of Philippine golf.”