MONA Sarines turned a sibling showdown into a statement victory, unleashing a blistering five-under 64 to rout twin sister Lisa by 11 strokes in the girls’ 15-18 division of the ICTSI John Hay Junior PGT Championship in Baguio.
What had shaped up to be a tight final-round duel quickly became a one-sided march as Mona delivered a near-flawless performance at the John Hay Golf Club. She mixed four birdies with a spectacular eagle on the par-5 17th, overpowering the field and finishing with a 54-hole total of 210.
“I’m very proud of myself for winning – my first of the season – and I’m also proud of scoring a 64 today,” said Mona, 14, whose key to victory was rediscovering her swing, which had been missing at Mount Malarayat.
“I was also able to play smarter this week and I didn’t really mind my score and just made sure to execute my swing properly,” she added, highlighting her explosive finish with an eagle, set up by a solid drive and a superb 5-wood approach that landed just nine feet from the pin.
Lisa, who defeated Mona by three at Mount Malarayat, carded a 72 for second at 221, while Levonne Talion shot a 73 to finish third at 234.
In the boys’ premier division, Tristan Padilla showcased grit under pressure, overcoming a mid-round stumble to secure a six-stroke victory with a second straight 69 and a wire-to-wire five-under 202 total over 54 holes.
“My round was very erratic. I had three double bogeys and six birdies, so it was really an up-and-down kind of game,” said Padilla, 17, of Manila Southwoods, who also highlighted his growing affinity for winning in Baguio after claiming a breakthrough victory at Pinewoods two years ago.
“It feels good to notch my first win of the season. I wasn’t actually playing well, so this win is definitely a confidence booster,” added Padilla, who finished 21 strokes behind Shinichi Suzuki in a joint runner-up finish with Patrick Tambalque in the opening leg of the Luzon Series at Mount Malarayat.
“I started out well, which gave me a good opportunity,” said Padilla, who opened with a 64 to seize early control.
Serdenia also closed out with a 69 for second at 208, Geoffrey Tan finished third at 212 after a 75, while Suzuki pooled a 215 for fourth after a 71.
In Bukidnon, Ethan Lago continued to stamp his dominance in the Visayas-Mindanao Series, delivering yet another commanding performance to seal a third straight victory in the boys’ 7-10 division with a 141 after a 69.
Despite a spirited late rally from Lucas Revilleza – who threatened with an eagle on No. 14 and a birdie on No. 17 – Lago remained unshaken. He answered with a clutch birdie on the 16th and holed out with another on No. 18, en route to another runaway six-shot win as Revilleza holed out with a double bogey for a 71 and a 147.
