Focus on girls 13-15 in JPGT Negros

With spots in the national finals at stake, the ICTSI Junior Philippine Golf Tour concludes its three-leg Visayas series Monday at the challenging Negros Occidental Golf and Country Club.

While some players have secured spots in the Philippine Match Play Championship with standout performances in the Iloilo and Bacolod legs, a fierce battle looms in the Girls 13-15 division. Tiffany Bernardino, Alexie Gabi and Rane Chiu are locked in a tight race for the two spots in the national finals this October at The Country Club in Laguna.

Gabi led the Iloilo stage, followed by Bernardino and Chiu. Bernardino then starred in the first Bacolod tournament at the Bacolod Golf and Country Club in Murcia, defeating Chiu and Gabi by one stroke. The competition became even tougher when Chiu narrowly edged Gabi into the countdown for second place.

In the boys 13-15 division, Nyito Tiongko will look to replicate his dominant performance from Bacolod last week, but will face strong competition from talented players such as Dannuo Zhu, Inno Flores, Begie Salahog, Gabriel Handog and Xian Travina.

Points are awarded based on players’ performance in each leg of the five-month, 14-phase nationwide series organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc. The winner earns 15 points, while second and third place receive 12 and 10 points, respectively. Other age categories include 8-9, 10-12 and 16-18 for both boys and girls.

Meanwhile, the Luzon series continues with four more tournaments in August and September after a three-match away series in May last year, while Mindanao will host four tournaments on four championship courses.

Players may participate in multiple series, with their best three results taken into account. The top four players from Luzon and the top two from Visayas and Mindanao will advance to the match play finals, with the best player from each age group from the series also earning a berth in the finals.

Kvan Alburo will be looking to win the Visayas series, aiming for a third straight victory in the boys 8-9 category against competitors like James Rolida and Tobias Tiongko, while Faith Reosura, Ana Marie Aguilar, Aria Montelibano and Anezka Golez will battle for top honors in the youngest girls division. TMT