Wacan, Molde Eye Redemption at JPGT Apo Golf

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DAVAO CITY – Homegrown golfers Merry Rose Wacan and Soleil Molde return with redemption in mind as they seek to bounce back from recent setbacks in the ICTSI Apo Golf Junior PGT Championship, which tees off Monday at Apo Golf and Country Club.

Wacan nearly pulled off a dramatic comeback in the girls 15-18 division at the South Pacific leg, rallying from six shots down before settling for second behind Bukidnon’s Crista Miñoza, who secured her breakthrough win in the country’s top junior circuit.

Determined to finish strong on her home course, Wacan aims to use her local knowledge for a decisive push this time.

Molde, fresh off a strong win at Del Monte, saw her momentum halted at South Pacific where Cebu’s Denise Mendoza handed her a surprising loss in the girls 7-10 category.

Eager to bounce back, Molde is set for a high-stakes rematch with Bukidnon’s Claren Quiño, who skipped South Pacific but won the Pueblo de Oro leg, which Molde missed.

The showdown between Molde and Quiño promises fireworks as both aim to assert dominance heading into the season’s final stretch.

Davao’s Zoey Mascariñas and Amelia Morente also join the girls 7-10 field, raising the level of competition in the youngest division of the Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc.-organized series.

In the boys 11-14 division, a fiery rematch looms between South Cotabato’s Jared Saban and Cagayan de Oro’s Ken Guillermo.

Saban dealt Guillermo a stinging 11-stroke defeat last week, halting Guillermo’s winning run from the Del Monte and Pueblo de Oro legs.

With Guillermo looking to bounce back, and with contenders like Laurence Saban and Valencia’s Marcus Dueñas in the mix, the 36-hole contest promises to be tightly contested.

All eyes are also on the boys 15-18 division as ranking leader Alexis Nailga returns after skipping the South Pacific stop.

Armed with three wins from Mactan, Del Monte and Pueblo de Oro, Nailga, from Bukidnon, leads with 45 points and is all but assured of a berth in the ICTSI North vs. South Elite Juniors Finals set for Oct. 7-10 at The Country Club in Laguna.

But Nailga faces stiff opposition from South Pacific winner Adrian Bisera and a solid lineup of local challengers including AJ Wacan, Jevan Lachica, James Teves, Vince Naranjo and Enrico Vicente.

With ranking points on the line and qualification for the grand finals at stake, every shot will count in the 54-hole Mindanao finale.

To qualify for the Elite Juniors Finals, players must join at least three legs in either the Luzon or Visayas-Mindanao series, with only the top four in each division advancing.

That makes this week’s final Mindanao leg a critical test of redemption, momentum and the pursuit of national glory.