TRECE MARTIRES, Cavite — Mavis Espedido launched her bid for a second straight title in impressive fashion, firing a 76 to seize a three-stroke lead over Venus delos Santos in the girls’ 7-10 division at the ICTSI Sherwood Hills Junior PGT Championship here on Tuesday.

The nine-year-old standout from Anvaya Cove opened the 36-hole event much like she did at Eagle Ridge two weeks ago, where she posted a wire-to-wire victory, ultimately winning by 14 strokes in the first leg of the seven-stage Luzon series of the nationwide junior tour, which also features the VizMin series.

Despite her lead, Espedido wasn’t fully satisfied with her round of 37-39 under intense heat.

“My game was kind of bad. I kept getting bogeys and even had a double bogey,” she said, although her three birdies helped cushion the mistakes.

“Tomorrow (Wednesday) I’ll try to bounce back and go for back-to-back wins so I can gain more points,” she added, vowing to stay focused and reduce errors in the final round of the event organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc.

Delos Santos also tallied three birdies but was undone by two bogeys, two double bogeys, and a quadruple bogey for a 79. Athena Serapio carded an 88 to fall 12 shots behind, while Penelope Sy, Tyra Garingalao and Amiya Tablac posted 90, 93 and 100, respectively.

In the boys’ 7-10 category, Zoji Edoc took a massive step toward redemption after narrowly missing out at Eagle Ridge. He shot an 81 to establish a commanding 17-stroke lead over Halo Pangilinan (98), with Michael Ray Hortel II (100) and Alexian Ching (102) trailing further behind.

Edoc’s highlight was a scrambling par on the seventh hole, where he chipped to tap-in range.

“Playing on this course isn’t bad, and I’ll try to break 81 tomorrow,” he said.

Meanwhile, in the 11-14 category, Vito Sarines moved within striking distance of victory, birdying the last hole to save a 76 and edge ahead of Eagle Ridge leg winner Ryuji Suzuki by one stroke. Suzuki staged a late rally with back-to-back birdies on Nos. 16 and 17 to finish at 77, setting up a high-stakes final round.

Sarines, who tied for third in the previous leg, briefly lost his lead after bogeying the 17th but regained composure to birdie the 18th.

“My round could’ve been better, but I’m still very happy,” said the 12-year-old Sarines, who recorded four bogeys and a double bogey to go with two birdies.

“It wasn’t that windy, but it was so hot I got dizzy at one point. I just relied on my short game when my irons weren’t working,” added the rising star from Riviera Golf and Country Club.

Looking to secure the win and avenge his prior loss to Suzuki, Sarines vowed to “do my best, stay calm, stay focused, and hopefully score well.”

But Suzuki, just one stroke back, remains a major threat going into what promises to be a thrilling finish between two of the age group’s top contenders.