Despite the absence of its top player, Immaculate Conception Academy secured a dramatic victory over La Salle Greenhills (LSGH) in the Lower School division, reinforcing its reputation as one of the country’s leading golf teams.

In what was billed as “The Battle for San Juan” at Mt. Malarayat Golf and Country Club in Lipa, Batangas over the weekend, ICA rallied in the back nine to squeeze out a 3-2 victory.

LSGH seemed to have control, leading by as many as three holes in all five matches as they reached the turn. But just when it appeared that victory was in their grasp, ICA’s resilience shone through, turning the match around in three pivotal moments.

Lauro Delen struck first for LSGH, cruising to a 5&4 win over Andrea Dee. But ICA wasn’t about to back down. Laura Pablo sparked the comeback, sinking a crucial birdie on the 17th to seal a 2&1 victory over Sebastian Darjuan. With coach Wendy Superal on her bag, Pablo’s nerves of steel proved to be the turning point.

The momentum continued to swing in ICA’s favor as Stephanie Gan, with the guidance of touring pro Christopher delos Santos as her caddie, delivered the second blow with a 2-up win over Asher Abad despite trailing by as many as four holes in the early goings.

Then, in the final act of the match, Islay Bangayan delivered a decisive 3&2 victory over Joseph Lacap, completing the comeback and clinching a 3-2 triumph for ICA.

LSGH’s second point came from Lilia Bonifacio, who edged Camille Sy in a nail-biting 2-up win. But it wasn’t enough to stop ICA’s surge.

Entering the match as heavy underdogs after Winter Serapio’s last-minute absence due to a prior commitment, ICA’s victory was all the sweeter.

“This win is incredibly sweet. We came into the national finals as the underdogs because we were missing our top player. But the girls rose to the challenge and proved what they’re made of,” said ICA captain Rica Dee, her voice full of pride.

In the Middle School team final, Xavier Team 2 claimed victory by default over Assumption, but the drama didn’t end there.

At Royale Tagaytay, the venue for the JGFP D-League Interschool Match Play, ICA produced two more champions: Lavigne Yu and Chloe Lim.

Yu, playing in the Senior High girls’ division, dominated Saki Co with a commanding 4&3 victory, while Lim triumphed in a dramatic playoff over Renz dela Paz to win the Junior High girls’ division.

The excitement continued with other standout performances: Enzo Cham (boys’ Senior High), Nathan Yeung (boys’ Junior High), Inigo Camposano (boys’ Middle School), and Jacqueline Dy (girls’ Middle School) all emerged victorious in their respective divisions.

The winners were honored by JGFP president Oliver Gan and JGFP director Aj Adiviso, who both marveled at the intensity of the competition.

“Match play is an incredible way to train junior golfers,” said Gan, before announcing that the next round of Senior High and Junior High competitions would take place on 15-16 March at Mt. Malarayat.

The final results:

D-LEAGUE

SENIOR HIGH (boys) — Enzo Cham, champion; Santi Asuncion, runner-up; Russell Samson, Gabriel Lapuz, semifinalists

SENIOR HIGH (girls) — Lavigne Yu, champion; Saki Co, runner-up; Kylie de Jesus, Arc Ubana, semifinalists

JUNIOR HIGH (boys) — Nathan Yeung, champion; Jayden de Joya, runner-up; Daniel Serrano, Lucas Garcia, semifinalists

JUNIOR HIGH (girls) — Chloe Lim, champion; Renz dela Paz, runner-up; Bea Lapuz, Julianna Ong, semifinalists

MIDDLE SCHOOL (boys) — Inigo Camposano, champion; Rafael Palma, runner-up; Santino Banson, Luis Chua, semifinalists

MIDDLE SCHOOL (girls) — Jacqueline Dy, champion; Helena Pablo, runner-up; Tyra Garingalao, Layla Agamata, semifinalists

CHAMPIONSHIP

LOWER SCHOOL (girls) — Emilia Benitez, champion; Eriane Pobeda, runner-up; Tala Dizon, Olivia Medina, semifinalists

LOWER SCHOOL (boys) — Sooreen Lee, champion; Christoff Tio, runner-up; Matteo dela Cruz, Alonso Ranches, semifinalists

MIDDLE SCHOOL (team) — Xavier Team 2, champion; Assumption, runner-up; Oro Christian, Xavier Team 1, semifinalists

MIDDLE SCHOOL (girls) — Quincy Pilac, champion; Eliana Dumalaog, runner-up; Venus delos Santos, semifinalists

MIDDLE SCHOOL (boys) — Monte Andaman, champion; Luis Drexel, runner-up; Jacob Vivas, EC Aguirre, semifinalists

LOWER SCHOOL (team) — Immaculate Conception Academy, champion; La Salle Greenhills, runner-up; Southridge, Xavier, semifinalists.