WALK IN THE PARK: Gialon’s no-panic final round wins him 2nd straight JPGT crown

DAVAO ­— After putting on the heat in the penultimate round, Aldrien Gialon coasted along to victory on Friday in the ICTSI Junior PGT Mindanao Series.

He turned in a steady 75, clinching the 16-18 category crown via a resounding 18-stroke victory over Nino Villacencio at the South Pacific Golf and Leisure Estates here yesterday.

After pulling away from the field with a record 67 on Thursday, Gialon shifted from aggressive to conservative play in the final 18 holes, effectively turning the round into a virtual practice session.

“With a huge lead, I played safe and aimed for par or bogey,” Gialon said.

He finished with three bogeys and no birdies for a 37-38 and a 72-hole total of eight-over 296, leading the sweep of the premier division by the local talents.

Gialon played pressure-free throughout the final round that was a stark contrast to his scorching performance in the previous round, where he shot eight birdies against three bogeys for a five-under 67.

That was nine strokes better than the previous tournament-best 76 he posted in the first round.

“There’s no pressure. I just focused on hitting the fairway and the green. If I made a mistake, I would recover on the next hole,” said the 18-year-old student from EMAR Human and Environmental College.

The victory was Gialon’s second straight in the four-leg Mindanao swing of the nationwide series sponsored by ICTSI after dominating his cousin Adrian Bisera by 10 strokes at their home course in Apo last week.

Villacencio attempted to close the gap on Gialon’s overnight lead with an aggressive approach, but it backfired, resulting in an 82. However, he secured runner-up honors with a 314.

Bisera, unable to mount a comeback despite his local knowledge of the course, ended up with an 85 for third place at 324.

South Cotabato’s Rainier Tagwalan, who finished third at Apo, wound up fourth at 326 after an 84, followed by Vince Naranjo (85-338) and Kenly Wacan (86-339) in the tournament organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc. and backed by PGTI official apparel Kampfortis Golf.

Gialon joined other division winners on the podium, including James Rolida from Cagayan de Oro and Bataan’s Mavis Espedido (8-9), Ralph and sister Rafella Batican from Bukidnon (10-12), and AJ Wacan and Johanna Uyking (13-15), both from Davao.