Lapuz and Alonso Espartero show their medals after ruling
their respective age-group categories in the Junior PGT
series in the format of drive, chip and putt skills challenge
at Mount Malarayat
Alonso Espartero posted a pair of runner-up finishes and one third-place effort to capture the overall crown in the ICTSI 2023 Junior PGT series held under the drive, chip and putt format at Mount Malarayat Golf and Country Club in Lipa City, Batangas on Sunday.
Espartero came away with 128 points to beat David Serdenia by five in the Round 2 of the boys’ 15-18 age category and lead the two other category winners—Harry Sales and Maria Montserrat Lapuz—in the one-day tournament disputed over the three basic aspects of the sport.
Sales, an incoming Grade 10 student at Gov. Hills Science School, topped Round 3 of the boys’ 13-14 division with 124 points while Lapuz, homeschooled with Kolbe Academy (Grade 8), scored 105 points to run away with the girls’ 13-14 trophy in Round 4 play in the series organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. and held to develop players from the junior ranks and expand the base of golfing talents in the country.
Serdenia pooled a 123-point total while Sung came in third overall with 109 points in the premier boys’ division, while Sales defeated Luciano Copok (106) and Rafael Leonio (97), and Lapuz routed Chloe Lim and Levonne Talion, who wound up with 90 and 73 points, respectively.
Espartero finished tied for second with Shinichi Suzuki worth 40 points in chipping topped by Serdenia (45 points), with Eron Sung placing third with 35 points, while Suzuki notched 55 points in putting where Espartero likewise tied for second with Tyler Zamuco worth 50 points.
Sung also ended up third with 46 points.
Mark Kobayashi, on the other hand, took the driving honors with 49 points with Serdenia finishing second (43 points) and Espartero and Vasco Esquivel sharing third place for 38 points apiece.
In girls’ 13-14, Lapuz garnered 30 points to emerge on top in chipping, placed second in driving worth 40 points and made 35 points in a third-place effort in putting to underscore her superb all-around play.
Lim edged Lapuz in driving with 42 points while Talion wound up third with 24 points; Talion and Lim placed second and third for 13 and 12 points, respectively, in chipping; while Chloe Rada shone on the greens and scored 40 points with Talion and Lim sharing second place worth 36 points each.
In boys’ 13-14 play, Sales snared the chipping honors with 41 points, edging Tristan Padilla and Copok by one point, while Ramon Fabie finished third with 35 points.
Sales also tied for first with Rafael Leonio in driving worth 41 points with Gabriel Handog scoring 39 points for second and Fabie turning in another third place finish with 35 points.
Meanwhile, the series, which also features the 18-hole stroke play tournament, heads back to Sta. Elena next Sunday (Aug. 20) with competitions in the boys’ and girls’ 11-12 age group categories and the girls’ 15-18 class on tap.