BACOLOD — Stacy Rane Chiu scored double whammy on Wednesday: Secure the ICTSI JPGT Visayas Series 3, and clinch a spot in the Philippine Junior Match Play Championship.

“I stayed calm and took it shot by shot because you never really know what will happen,” said Chiu, 15 after winning the Girls’ 13-15 division at the Negros Occidental Golf and Country Club.

“I felt a lot of pressure being seven strokes down after nine holes as I kept making bogeys. Despite catching up to Tiffany (Bernardino) in the last nine holes, the pressure remained.”

Chiu sank a crucial 14-foot putt for par on the 54th hole to force a tie to eventually garner 15 crucial points with her remarkable come-from-behind win.

Chiu and Bernardino both finished with 27 points and will then make it to national finals at The Country Club in Laguna this October.

Chiu also surpassed Alexie Gabi for second place at the Bacolod Golf and Country Club in Murcia, a tournament won by Bernardino the previous week. Gabi, who won the first leg in Iloilo, aimed to join Bernardino in the national finals with a runner-up finish in Bacolod.

However, Bernardino squandered a three-stroke lead with two holes to play, stumbling with a double bogey and a bogey for an 87 and a 263 total. Chiu matched this with gritty closing pars for an 85, forcing a sudden death playoff.

Both players bogeyed the first playoff hole on No. 1, with Chiu tenaciously staying in contention. The Cebuana native then showcased her resilience, winning the par-4 opening hole with a par as Bernardino struggled with her bunker shots, needing five strokes to reach the green.

In the boys’ 13-15 category, Nyito Tiongko maintained firm control with a closing 80, securing victory over Gabriel Handog despite a frontside 41. He finished with a total of 234, defeating Handog by 10 strokes. Handog ended with an 82 for a 244, while Inno Flores finished third with a 255 after an 81.

With back-to-back victories, Tiongko accumulated 30 points, towing Flores, who garnered 27 points, into the national finals of the nationwide series sponsored by ICTSI and organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc.

“I really focused on winning and prayed hard,” said Tiongko, adding: “I’m so excited to play at TCC. It will be my first time, and hopefully, not my last.”

Dominique Gotiong all but secured the girls’ 16-18 crown and a seat in the national finals for the second consecutive week. She delivered a 78 for a 246 total, establishing a whopping 56-stroke lead over Rhiena Sinfuego, who struggled with a 101 for a 302. Breanna Rojas remained third with a 109 for a 314.