Vito Sarines. –HANDOUT PHOTO
Vito Sarines roared mightily back from seven shots down by closing out with a seven-under-par 65 to win the 11-14 boys’ division title ICTSI Summit Point Junior PGT Championship by three shots over a stunned Chan Ahn in Lipa City in Batangas on Thursday.
Sarines birdied 4 straight holes from the eleventh after which watched the South Korean falter with a double bogey 5 on the thirteenth before one other bogey two holes later sealed the Filipino’s win with a 36-hole 142 tally.
“I played very well. All the things turned out the best way I desired to,” said the home-schooled Sarines, 13. “I hit it really good in just about all holes and enjoyed myself on the market.”
The women’ 15-18 division was also a suspenseful theater as Rafa Anciano mounted a shocking comeback with a 74 for a one-stroke win over Kendra Garingalao.
Anciano closed out with a routine par and Garingalao a bogey for an 80, a slip that was enough for the win for Anciano with a 54-hole 239.
Within the boys’ premier division, Rafael Leonio cruised to a commanding 12-shot victory despite a closing 78 for his first JPGT crown.
Holding a shaky two-shot edge over Korea’s Taeyang Yun after the opening round, Leonio pulled away with a second-round 73 to construct a six-shot cushion. He capped his performance with a 42-36 card in the ultimate round, ending with a 227 total.