MANILA, Philippines – Jakob Taruc pulled off a stirring Junior Philippine Golf Tour turnaround, sweeping the final two legs of the Luzon Series – including the ICTSI Eagle Ridge JPGT Championship in Cavite on Friday – to punch his ticket to the Elite Finals and anchor a powerhouse North boys’ 15-18 squad.
Rafa Anciano, on the other hand, locked out Levonne Talion to top the girls’ premier division. With the victory, Anciano officially clinched her spot in the Finals alongside early qualifiers Lisa and Mona Sarines, while Kendra Garingalao also advanced.
Riding the wave of a brilliant second-round surge, Taruc displayed nerves of steel on the Aoki course of the sprawling Eagle Ridge Golf and Country Club. As dark skies threatened rain and cast a dramatic gloom, Taruc masterfully handled the shifting conditions.
He shot three birdies against two bogeys on the front nine, before adding two more birdies against another bogey in the last nine holes to close with a 70. It was his finest round of the tournament, securing a three-over 219 total and a dominant 11-stroke victory over Harry Sales.
Sales, the first-round leader who faltered with a 79 on Thursday to hand Taruc the advantage, showed flashes of a comeback early, birdying the par-5 No. 3 for the third consecutive day. But his rhythm crumbled midway through as he wavered, stumbling to a 77 to finish with a 230 total.
Lujo Gomez carded a 76 to claim third place at 231 at the close of the six-leg, three-month, course-hopping regional series organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc., setting the stage for a high-stakes Finals showdown from Aug. 17-20 at the Pueblo de Oro Country Club in Cagayan de Oro.
“Reaching the finals wasn’t originally part of my plan, so being here feels like a true blessing. Heading into Beverly Place, I was struggling with self-doubt because my game wasn't quite where I wanted it to be – but I could feel it coming together," said Taruc in overcoming doubt and finding his swing.
"After two rounds at Beverly, my confidence started to return. By the time I arrived at Eagle Ridge, I felt good about my game because my swing was locked in and everything was just working perfectly," he added.
The top four finishers from the Luzon and Visayas-Mindanao series are headed for a thrilling, Ryder Cup-style collision. Three age divisions (7-10, 11-14 and 15-18) will face off as the North looks to defend the title it won at The Country Club last year, while a battle-tested South squad hunts for revenge.
"This victory proved to me that I am truly capable of going low. It gave me the validation I needed. Moving forward, I just have to trust myself and my abilities," said Taruc. "I feel ready for the Finals now. I just need to do a little bit of tweaking with my iron game to be fully prepared.” While Taruc realized a Finals dream, Talion’s desperate, last-ditch bid for a Pueblo de Oro berth fell agonizingly short in the premier girls' division.
Needing nothing less than a victory to break into the Top 4, Talion showed immense heart, rallying from four strokes down to within one of Anciano with just three holes to play. Despite carrying a seven-over card, Talion kept the pressure on. However, Anciano toughened up in the clutch, matching her rival’s birdie on the 16th before drilling another on the par-3 No. 17 to go 2-up.
Both players bogeyed the final hole, leaving Anciano with an 81 for a 242 total, while Talion settled for second with a 79 for a 244. Garingalao bowed out of what had been a three-way battle for leg title after a double-bogey on No. 5 and a triple-bogey on the seventh, limping with an 85 for a 249.
With the victory, Anciano concluded the six-leg series with 40 points, while Garingalao finished with 37. The duo booked the last two spots in the Finals alongside early qualifiers Liza Sarines (42 points) and Mona Sarines (39 points).
Talion finished her campaign with 34 points.
“This season was incredibly tough. The dynamic completely changed with the younger girls moving up into our division, leaving me as one of only three or four holdovers in the 15-18 category from last year. It was a privilege to play against such a challenging field,” said Anciano on rising to the competition and handling pressure.
"The heightened competition really pushed me to a higher standard; I was forced to play smarter, shoot lower scores, and elevate my entire game. I think that pressure is exactly what drove me to perform my best during these final rounds," she added.
Meanwhile, Taruc’s late-season surge, meanwhile, will go down as the story of the tournament. After a mediocre opening leg at Mount Malarayat that yielded a measly one point, Taruc skipped the next three Luzon legs to honor previous commitments. The Finals seemed like an impossibility.
Yet, a victory at Beverly Place breathed life into his campaign. Combined with an early contender’s failure to meet the minimum three-tournament appearance rule, the door swung wide open. Grabbing the final seat with 31 points, Taruc now joins a formidable North quartet alongside Tristan Padilla, Shinichi Suzuki and Geoffrey Tan – ready to clash with a fierce Southern lineup spearheaded by Alexis Nailga, Sebastian Sajuela, Clement Ordeneza and Mhark Fernando III. TMT
