Bernardino targets PGT Mindanao redemption

Kelsey Bernardino, who barely missed a national finals berth in the Visayas series, seeks redemption as she sets her sights on the four-leg ICTSI Junior PGT Mindanao Series, which begins Tuesday at the Apo Golf and Country Club in Davao.

Bernardino secured third place finishes in Iloilo and Bacolod and placed second in Negros Occidental, yet fell short of advancing as Zuri Bagaloyos and Cailey Gonzales clinched the top two spots in the first two legs of the three-stage Visayas series, moving on to the Match Play finals of the girls’ 10-12 age category.

Determined to earn a spot in the head-to-head championship set for 1 to 4 October at The Country Club in Laguna, the 11-year-old from Makati City is ready to slug it out with local talents Kimberly Barroquillo, Snoe Dalisay, Elize Naranjo and Angel Salvador, along with South Cotabato’s Brittany Tamayo, Bacolod’s Chelsea Ogborne, and Cebu’s Davelyn Dy, all eager to claim top honors and ranking points.

Intense competition is also expected in other age divisions, as players kick off their bids in the grueling regional series over the next four weeks at various challenging courses.

Leg 2 will be held at the South Pacific Golf and Leisure Estates from 30 July to 2 August in Davao. The Del Monte Golf Club in Bukidnon will host the third leg from 6 to 9 August, and the ICTSI-sponsored series will conclude at Pueblo de Oro in Cagayan de Oro from 12 to 15 August.

The best two results from these events will determine the players’ final rankings. The top two from each age division — 8-9, 10-12, 13-15 and 16-18, for both boys and girls — will earn berths in the series’ finals organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc., dedicated to discovering and developing talent, especially in the countryside.