AKEISHA Yocte delivered a gutsy, character-filled performance under punishing heat and relentless pressure, outlasting Vanya Go in a nerve-wracking finish to capture the girls’ 7-10 title at the ICTSI Mactan Island Junior PGT Championship in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu.
In a gripping duel that tightened coming down the stretch at the Mactan Island Golf Club, Yocte battled her way to an 82 to secure a two-stroke victory, finishing with a 159 total in a 36-hole contest that tested composure as much as skill.
Yocte and Go stepped onto the par-4 18th mound tied at 22-over, setting the stage for a dramatic finish. Yocte kept her poise, salvaging a bogey from the bunker, while Go faltered under pressure, carding a triple-bogey 7 after a costly exchange from one bunker to another.
Go settled for an 80 and a 161 total.
“I feel good — and much better,” said the nine-year-old Yocte, who also relied on her familiarity with the course to pull off the hard-fought victory in the kickoff leg of the JPGT Visayas-Mindanao Series.
“This win boosted my confidence and taught me important lessons about staying focused and bouncing back from every setback or challenge,” she added.
Earlier, Go erased a four-shot deficit and surged ahead with a clutch birdie on the par-3 12th, capitalizing on Yocte’s costly stumble on No. 13. But the battle was far from over.
A missed up-and-down on No. 16 dropped Go back into a tie, setting the stage for a tense, tense-filled finale between the two young contenders.
With everything hanging in the balance, Yocte showed maturity beyond her years.
Zoey Mascariñas briefly made it a three-way race with a 41 at the turn, but back-to-back bogeys and a disastrous triple bogey on No. 13 knocked her out of contention, leaving Yocte and Go to battle it out to the finish. Mascariñas carded a second 81 for 162 for third.
Earlier, Davao’s Ethan Lago turned a tight contest into a runaway victory in the boys’ 7-10 class, unleashing a decisive birdie-eagle burst from No. 14 to transform a slim two-shot lead into a commanding five-shot triumph. He closed with a 71 for a 146 total.
Lucas Revilleza, who kept the pressure on throughout, birdied the 15th but bogeyed the next before holing out with a birdie for the second straight day to finish with a 74 and a 151 aggregate. Darren Ong placed third at 175 after an 88.
“I’m proud of myself because I made an eagle on No. 15, and my putting was really good,” said the 8-year-old Lago from Ateneo de Davao, recalling how his drive on the par-5 15th veered to the right. But he recovered with a solid wedge shot that landed within five feet, setting up the eagle putt.
Lago now looks ahead to the possibility of back-to-back wins at Alta Vista next week, carrying with him an important lesson: “Never give up and always chase your dreams.”
