TEST OF CHARACTER: Despite blow-up hole, Gialon

TEST OF CHARACTER: Despite blow-up hole, Gialon | Daily Tribune

Aldrien Gialon didn’t lose heart despite a quadruple bogey on a par-5 No. 3. Instead, it emboldened the 18-year-old to capture the championship.

With plenty to spare.

“There was pressure in the first three holes, but I didn’t lose my composure after the quadruple bogey on No. 3,” said Gialon of the miscue.

That was when he drove out of bounds, and twice found the bunker and three-putted the third hole of the sun-baked Apo Golf and Country Club.

It also allowed his cousin and closest pursuer Adrian Bisera to come within a stroke.

“As the competition tightened, I became more focused,” Gialon said.

He sure did as he then launched a series of pars and birdies like a man on a vengeance, coming out with a 76 to rule the Boys’ 16-18 of the ICTSI JPGT Mindanao Series I by 10 shots.

Bisera and Rainier Tagwalan failed to match Gialon’s fiery finish, settling for the runner-up and third place finishes after 81 and 85, respectively, in the premier division of the four-age category series organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc.

Gialon assembled a 72-hole total of 310.

Bisera stumbled with three bogeys at the same stretch Gialon was making a move, finishing with 38-43 for a 320, while Tagwalan struggled on the back nine, which he played in 8-over, ending with a 41-44 for a total of 323.

Kenly Wacan placed fourth with a 331 after an 84 while Gian Bullecer carded an 81 to finish fifth with 332.

The comeback started for Gialon with a bogey on No. 4 and a birdie on the next before stringing four pars.

Meanwhile, Bisera failed to capitalize fully, dropping strokes on Nos. 6 and 7 and finishing with a 38, enabling Gialon regain a comfortable three-stroke cushion at the turn.

Tagwalan attempted to close the gap, closing to within three strokes after Gialon’s miscue. However, the first day leader’s early struggles, including a triple-bogey on No. 1, led to a frontside 41.

The back nine became a test of iron play and nerves, with Gialon holding off Bisera’s threats by birdieing Nos. 13 and 15, maintaining firm control until the final hole.

Aside from the medal, he secured 15 valuable points in the race for the top two spots in the four-leg Mindanao Series, leading to the Match Play Championship at The Country Club in Laguna in October.

Next up is the Mindanao Series 2 at the nearby South Pacific Golf and Leisure Estates, starting Tuesday (30 July).

The Del Monte Golf Club in Bukidnon will host the third leg from 6 to 9 August. And the series will conclude at Pueblo de Oro Golf and Country Club in Cagayan de Oro from 12 to 15 August.