A SLEW of marquee matchups banners the ICTSI John Hay Junior PGT Championship, with rivalries heating up across all three age-group divisions when the third leg of the Luzon Series is fired off Tuesday (April 28) in Baguio City.
And there’s no shortage of compelling duels.
At the forefront is the boys’ 15-18 division, where Shinichi Suzuki and David Charles Serdenia are set for a highly anticipated clash of contrasting styles – power versus precision, aggression against calculated course management. But the demanding Camp John Hay layout, known for its tight fairways, rolling terrain and punishing angles, is expected to neutralize sheer power and reward those who can think their way around the course.
That dynamic opens the door for a loaded field. Jakob Taruc, Santi Asuncion, Tristan Padilla, Lujo Gomez and Andres Fabie all loom as serious contenders in the 54-hole tournament, each capable of capitalizing on the course’s premium on accuracy and discipline.
Adding intrigue are the Baguio-based bets – Xian Robles, Jake Garcia, Von Raiden Tablac and Renzo Sagsago – who will lean on local knowledge of the tricky par-69 layout, hoping familiarity breeds advantage against their Big City rivals.
The girls’ 15-18 category shapes up to be just as unpredictable. Siblings Lisa and Mona Sarines lead the charge but face a stern challenge from Levonne Talion, Kendra Garingalao and hometown bet Zyrah de Leon in what promises to be a wide-open battle.
Meanwhile, another rivalry continues to brew in the boys’ 11-14 division as Chan Ahn and Vito Sarines prepare for a rubber match of sorts. The two have split the first two legs of the six-stage series leading to the Elite Junior Finals – Ahn edging Sarines by one stroke at Mount Malarayat, before Sarines stormed back at Summit Point, overturning a five-shot deficit over the final nine holes to win by three.
