DAVAO – Local golf talents AJ Wacan and Johanna Uyking emerged victorious in the ICTSI Junior PGT Mindanao Series 2, held at South Pacific Golf and Leisure Estates on Thursday.
Competing in the 13-15 age category, Wacan and Uyking showcased remarkable skills and resilience to secure their respective titles.
Wacan delivered a stunning performance in the boys’ division, overcoming a five-stroke deficit to edge out Alexis Nailga by two strokes.
His victory was sealed with a clutch chip-in birdie on the 16th hole, finishing with scores of 33-39 for a total of 238.
Nailga, who had tied Wacan at 21-over with pars on Nos. 13 and 14, faltered on the par-5 18th, concluding with a 79 for a total of 240. Joaquin Pasquil finished third with a 90, totaling 269.
Meanwhile, Uyking maintained her lead in the girls’ division despite early struggles. Starting with a four-shot lead over Zero Plete, Uyking regained her composure with a birdie on the 10th hole, ultimately winning by six strokes with a total of 239.
Plete finished second with 245, and Rose Wacan came in third at 252.
“My driving and long irons were solid, but my putting wasn’t as sharp as it was in the second round,” Uyking reflected on her performance, which included an impressive 73 on Wednesday.
These victories marked back-to-back title runs for Wacan and Uyking, who also dominated the Apo leg of the four-leg regional series sponsored by ICTSI and organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.
Additionally, Aldrien Gialon is on track to achieve a third consecutive title for Davao, posting a tournament-best 67 to lead by nine strokes in the premier division.
“Everything was on point – driving, second shots, and putting, with some one-putt pars,” Gialon said. He finished with a 221 aggregate, distancing himself from competitors Nino Villacencio and Adrian Bisera.
The ICTSI Junior PGT regional series continues with the third leg at Del Monte from Aug. 6 to 9 and concludes at Pueblo de Oro Golf and Country Club in Cagayan de Oro from Aug. 12 to 15.
The top two players from each age division will advance to the JPGT Match Play Championship in Laguna from Oct. 1-4.
For more details and registration, contact PGTI’s Jhi Castillo at 0928-316-5678 or Shiela Salvania at 0968-311-4101.
