Mafy Singson clinched top honors in the premier division of the IMG Academy Junior World Qualifier despite a closing 76 while Jet Hernandez topped the boys’ side at the Eagle Ridge Golf and Country Club in Gen. Trias, Cavite last Sunday.
Singson also carded a four-over card in the opening round of the 54-hole tournament Friday and limped with an 80 in the second round as she and Burnberry Zhang shared the lead for the second straight day. But the latter fumbled with an 82 and Singson’s fellow ICTSI-backed Arnie Taguines failed to mount a big charge in the last 18 holes, enabling the SEA Games-bound Singson to cruise to victory with a 232 total.
That was six strokes clear of Taguines, who ended up with a 79, and Zhang in the girls’ 15-18 division of the tournament which also featured competitions in other age-group divisions. The top four finishers in each category gained tickets to the annual Junior World Championships in Sand Diego, California in July.
Singson, winner of four low amateur honors in last year’s Ladies Philippine Golf Tour, and LK Go, member of the team that swept the SEA Games golf golds at Luisita in 2019, were named captain’s picks for the national team vying in the upcoming biennial games in Hanoi in May.
Rianne Malixi, who topped the last LPGT event at Midlands last December and beat Princess Superal to reign in this year’s kickoff leg of the country’s premier pro circuit at Luisita last week, will spearhead the SEAG team following a dominant performance in the recent SEAG qualifier, also at Luisita.
Eagle Ace Superal took the fourth and last spot in the girls’ 15-18 play in the first JGFP (Junior Golf Foundation of the Philippines) junior golf circuit for 2022.
Hernandez, who also topped the SEAG elims, dominated his side with a 215 total after a 72, while Miguel Ilas (79-222), Sean Granada (78-229) and Bobe Salahog (78-230) claimed the three other slots in the San Diego bash.
Others who gained Junior World spots were (13-14 division) Reese Ng (73-222), Lia Rosca (76-237), Mikhaella Constantino (84-242), Celine Abalos (88-263) and Shinichi Suzuki (70-219), Patrick Tambalque (78-231), Luis Ballesteros (82-239) and Zach Villaroman (80-241);
(11-12 category) Francesca Gan (90-261), Niña Balangauan (85-263), Lois Laine Go (90-283) and Isabella Tabanas (94-284) and Geoffrey Tan (85-246), Marc Nadales (87-251), Scott Ng (87-259) and Emilio Hernandez (85-262); (9-10 group) Johanna Uyking (90-270), Brittany Tamayo (90-287), Margaux Namoco (111-321) and Jacqueline Garcia (123-356) and Ralph Batican (95-253), Race Manhit (85-264), Jared Saban (90-266) and Jacobo Gomez (86-268).