Zoji Edoc takes out the flagstick before a putt. —CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Patrick Tambalque put up a tough battle against the elements on Wednesday to carve out a one-over-par 73 and stay three strokes ahead of a new pursuer in Shinichi Suzuki heading into the final round of the premier 15-18 division for boys of the ICTSI Junior PGT Series at Riviera’s Couples layout.
Despite missing several birdie chances and with the wind bedeviling the field, Tambalque crept closer to a third leg win with a 148 aggregate, as Suzuki, the Filipino Japanese star, also returned a 73 as the title now seems to be a two-man race with Kristoffer Nadales now 10 shots down after a 74.
“I’ll just stick to my game plan and that is managing the course,” Tambalque, who ruled the Eagle Ridge and Splendido legs, said.
Zachary Villaroman struggled with an 80 to be tied with Nadales, even as Renee Dungca completed a wire-to-wire win in the girls’ 7-10 despite closing out with an 80.
Dungca’s opening 73 proved to be the key as she tallied 153 in the 36-hole championship where Tyra Garingalao, who carded a 78, settled for second.
“I feel good, happy,” said the 9-year-old Dungca, who needs a sweep of the Pradera Verde and Pinewoods legs to make the North squad for the Elite Finals without a hitch. With two more wins, Dungca can tally 45 points.
Only the Top 4 in the seven-leg Luzon series will advance to the Finals, where they will face the top performers from the Visayas-Mindanao series in a Ryder Cup-style showdown.
In the boys’ 7-10, Zoji Edoc zoomed to a commending 12-shot victory by firing a 76 and seal his place in the Finals with a two-day total of 155.
Edoc, who previously won at Sherwood Hills and placed runner-up at Eagle Ridge and Splendido Taal, now tops the division rankings with 54 points, surpassing Zach Guico’s 45.
The Edoc family made it a sweep after Zianbeau ruled the boys’ 11-14 after a second straight 78 for a 156 total, securing his first JPGT title with a seven-shot win over Race Manhit and Jacob Casuga.
“I played consistently on the back nine and my putting was a bit better today,” Zianbeau said. “The wind made it really challenging. But I’m really proud because this is my first win.”
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Manhit matched Zianbeau’s final round with a 78 for a 163 total.
