Junior World veteran banners JPGT Apo

DAVAO — Jared Saban, fresh from his participation in the Junior World Championships, sets out for the ICTSI Junior PGT Mindanao Series I starting Tuesday at the Apo Golf and Country Club here, brimming with confidence and ready to showcase the experience and lessons gained from the prestigious event in San Diego.

Saban’s participation is expected to intensify the competition for the boys’ 10-12 title, which will be contested over 36 holes at the tight, challenging layout.

His competitors include fellow players from South Cotabato, Marco Senador and Laurence Saban, Cagayan de Oro’s Gabriel Manangquil, and local talents Scionverje Recto and Paul Braberry.

Zeus Sara, who also competed in the Junior World and won the boys’ premier division in the first Junior PGT national finals last year, was initially on the list but withdrew at the last minute, saying his golf clubs were still in Manila after being fitted upon his arrival from the United States.

The withdrawal leaves the chase for top honors and ranking points in the 16-18 division wide open among local talents such as Vince Naranjo, Jon Ortega, Adrian Bisera, Stuart Co, and Aldrien Gialon, among others.

The girls’ 10-12 category will also be highly anticipated, featuring Davao’s Elize Naranjo, Angel Salvador, Snoe Dalisay and Kimberly Barroquillo, who will compete against Makati’s Kelsey Bernardino, South Cotabato’s Brittany Tamayo, Bacolod’s Chelsea Ogborne and Davelyn Dy from Cebu.

Other titles up for grabs include the boys’ and girls’ 8-9 categories, played over 36 holes, and the 13-15 category, set over 54 holes. Ranking points are available in this first of four tournaments in the Mindanao series, part of a nationwide circuit put up by ICTSI aimed at discovering and nurturing young talents while fostering a cooperative atmosphere for their mutual benefit.

The best two results from these events will determine the players’ final rankings. The top two from each age division will earn spots in the Match Play Championship from 1 to 4 October at The Country Club in Laguna.

The seven-leg Luzon series will also have its set of qualifiers for the national finals, while 16 players have already qualified from the recent three-part Visayas series of the circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.

The second leg of the Mindanao series will be held at the South Pacific Golf and Leisure Estates from 30 July to 2 August in Davao. The third stop will be at the Del Monte Golf Club in Bukidnon from 6 to 9 August, and the series will wind up at Pueblo de Oro in Cagayan de Oro from 12 to 15 August.