MANILA, Philippines — After a nationwide campaign under grueling conditions, 63 of the country's top young golfers are set to battle it out at the ICTSI Junior PGT National Match Play Finals from October 2 to 4 at The Country Club in Laguna.
Competing not just for bragging rights but also to cement themselves as the best in their age divisions, these young talents are primed for intense head-to-head duels.
The championship format mirrors the annual professional match play event, renowned for its unpredictability and the thrilling one-on-one encounters it produces. The finalists, who emerged from a seven-leg Luzon series, a four-stage Mindanao qualifier, and a three-part Visayas eliminator, along with five players who advanced through multi-series campaigns, are prepared for an exciting battle of skill, mental toughness and endurance.
Participants, grouped into boys' and girls' divisions across four age brackets – 8-9, 10-12, 13-15, and 16-18 – will first undergo an 18-hole stroke play competition on Oct. 2 to determine rankings. This serves as the Phase 1 opener before the dramatic head-to-head clashes in Phase 2, an 18-hole match play.
For the youngest division, the 8-9 age group, match play will also be held on Oct. 2, with quarterfinal matches in all categories scheduled for Oct. 3. The semifinals, finals and third-place playoffs will take place on Oct. 4.
The finals, marking the culmination of a grueling five-month nationwide series organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. and sponsored by ICTSI, aim not only to crown the country's top junior golfers but also to spotlight the emerging talent poised to shape the future of Philippine golf.
In the boys' premier division, top players include Luzon's Patrick Tambalque, Mark Kobayashi, Zachary Villaroman, and Francis Slavin, as well as Simon Wahing and John Rey Oro (Visayas) and Cliff Nuñeza and Aldrien Gialon (Mindanao). Multi-series finalist John Paul Oro is also a strong contender.
In the girls' premier division, the field features Luzon's Lia Duque, Chloe Rada, Angelica Bañez, and Rafa Anciano, as well as Dominique Gotiong and Rhiena Sinfuego (Visayas), and Ally Gaccion and Crista Miñoza (Mindanao), with Necky Tortosa rounding out the finalists.
The youngest golfers in the 8-9 division also promise to put on a show, with Athena Serapio, Tyra Garingalao and Amiya Tablac (Luzon); Eliana Mendoza (Visayas); and Francesca Geroy (Mindanao) disputing the girls' crown.
Meanwhile, the boys in the same age group include Jesus Yambao and Michael Ray Hortel II (Luzon); Kvan Alburo and Tobias Tiongko (Visayas); and Shaqeeq Tanog and James Rolida (Mindanao).
Ties during the stroke play phase will be broken by comparing scores over the last 9 holes (10-18), then the last 6 (13-18), and the last 3 (16-18). If a tie persists, countback from the 18th hole will decide the rankings. Match play ties will be resolved through a hole-by-hole playoff. TMT