They all had fun and soaked up the experience but what these band of youngsters relished more while playing on the ICTSI Junior PGT were the valuable lessons learned during the course of their campaign in the pioneering series.
“Throughout the JPGT Series, I learned that even if you had one bad round, you can always bounce back in the next. There’s a lot of chances and I turned those (chances) into results,” said Zeus Sara, who topped the boys’ 15-18 age group category in the JPGT national finals at The Country Club in Laguna last Tuesday.
“Winning this tournament also boosted my confidence because winning on this course (TCC) is very hard because it’s long and very challenging,” he added.
The JPGT experience also impressed the Davaoeño star who has vied in a number of junior golf tournaments, saying: “The JPGT is very different from other junior golf tournaments, including the live scoring.”
Korean Jiwon Lee, winner of girls’ 15-18 plum who has campaigned on the Ladies Philippine Golf Tour, described her JPGT stint as exceptional.
“It’s very competitive and I was very honored to have won the championship. I learned and improved a lot in this journey,
not just in JPGT but in every tournament. But this JPGT Series is very special to me.”
“The biggest thing that I gained throughout this series is that I got better every tournament,” said Lee. “I experienced a lot of things I never could’ve gotten and I’m very thankful. But most of all, I had fun. This win will surely boost my confidence.”
Patrick Gene Tambalque and Isabella Tabanas, who shared the 13-14 trophies, also both enjoyed the JPGT journey even as they expect to come out better and stronger for their future campaigns.
“You just have to keep on fighting and always stick to your game plan,” said Tambalque, who swept the last two legs of the five-round elims to get into the finals then nipped Clement Ordeneza in sudden death to snare the crown.
“The JPGT experience was fun and it gave me motivation to be better every day,” said Tambalque, who thanked his parents, coaches and Riviera for their support. “The victory also boosted my confidence to the max because one doesn’t always win.”
“My overall experience wasn’t good (because of my score) but it wasn’t bad. I had ups-and-downs and had problems with my driving and short game,” said Tabanas.
“But this win has definitely boosted my confidence a lot, considering it’s my first time and the TCC is a hard course. But I should focus on my short game,” added the Cagayan de Oro lass.
For their part, the 9-10 and 11-12 winners of the series put up by ICTSI and organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. all savored their stints while hoping to come out stronger from their JPGT experience.
“I learned to be patient,” said boys’ 9-10 champion Jared Saban, also from Davao. “It was a good overall experience and my victory bolstered my confidence.”
“I didn’t expect to win, actually,” said Quincy Pilac, who dominated the girls’ 9-10 division. “But it’s a very big (win) and I learned to be responsible and always put importance on your wins.”
“When my friends congratulated me, I felt so special about myself, so it’s a big confidence-boost,” added Pilac.
Precious Zaragosa, winner of the girls’ 11-12 crown, thanked all her supporters and the PGTI for making the series possible then stressed the need for her “to stay focused and do my best.”
“The experience was fun and exciting. I struggled in other events but it motivated me to give my best in the next tournaments,” said Zaragosa.
“I have learned to control my emotions on this difficult (TCC) course,” said boys’ 11-12 runaway champion Ralph Batican, adding that the JPGT experience also enabled him to be with golf buddies and meet new friends.
