CAVINTI, Laguna — Patrick Tambalque made the most of the rain-softened fairways and fired a flawless six-under-par 66 to grab a commanding lead in the boys’ 15-18 division of the ICTSI Caliraya Springs Junior PGT Championship on Wednesday.

Fresh from a win at Sherwood Hills and back in action after skipping the Splendido Taal leg, the 16-year-old Learning Links standout lit up the Caliraya Springs layout, carding three birdies on both nines for matching 33s. The lift-clean-and-place rule helped, but Tambalque’s putter was the real star.

“Even the long ones were dropping,” said Tambalque, who trains at Manila Southwoods and Riviera. “I didn’t expect this kind of score with the weather, but I’m happy. Now it’s about sticking to my process, not rushing anything.”

The standout round gave him a massive seven-shot cushion over Zachary Villaroman and John Paul Agustin, who both settled for 73s. Kristoffer Nadales and Geoffrey Drew followed with 75s in the 54-hole Luzon series leg, which offers spots in the Elite Junior Finals and World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) points.

While Tambalque ran away with the lead in his division, things were much tighter across the rest of the tournament.

Girls’ 15-18: Bernardino edges ahead in soggy battle

In the girls’ 15-18 group, it was a wild back-and-forth as Levonne Talion, Rafa Anciano and Tiffany Bernardino traded leads in a drizzle-drenched morning. Bernardino emerged on top despite closing with back-to-back bogeys, finishing with an 84 — just one shot ahead of Talion and Anciano, who both stumbled late and ended up with 85s.

“It was really up and down, but my short game helped me recover,” said Bernardino, 14, from Poveda College. “Tomorrow, I’ll need to focus more on hitting fairways and making better decisions.”

Chloe Rada posted an 89 and stayed five shots back with two rounds to go in the event, which was launched by ICTSI in 2023 to scout and train golf talent from across the Philippines, especially from the provinces.

Sarines sisters go head-to-head again

In the girls’ 11-14 division, Mona Sarines put herself in prime position for back-to-back wins after firing a 73, thanks to a strong back nine. That gave her a four-shot lead over twin sister Lisa, who slipped with a 40 on the home stretch for a 77.

“The rain made club selection tricky,” said Mona, 13, of Riviera. “I’ll need to stay sharp with my swing and targets if I want to win again.”

Alexie Gabi and Kendra Garingalao stayed in the hunt with matching 78s, but Eliana Dumalaog (83) and Kelsey Bernardino (85) have some serious ground to make up.

Boys’ 11-14: Tight three-way race

The boys’ 11-14 division is shaping up to be a thriller. Jose Luis Espinosa and Vito Sarines closed with gutsy pars on the ninth to tie Jacob Casuga at 77. Casuga had led for most of the day but double-bogeyed the last hole, allowing the others to catch up.

“My driving and putting were solid, but the weather was a challenge,” said Casuga, 12, of Santiago Integrated National High School. “Tomorrow I just want to play for pars and enjoy the game.”

Espinosa, 11, from Ateneo, is optimistic heading into the final round. “I made some bogeys, but I know I can fix that. I’ll score better tomorrow,” he said.

Young guns show poise

Eight-year-old Winter Serapio showed nerves of steel in the girls’ 7-10 class, carding a composed 76 to open up a seven-stroke lead. Despite a bumpy start, she bounced back with birdies on holes 4 and 7, finishing with nines of 37-39.

Penelope Sy (83), Tyra Garingalao (84), and Tyly Bernardino (109) followed in the standings.

Guico holds edge in boys’ 7-10

Over in the boys’ 7-10 bracket, Zach Guico shot a 73 to take a four-shot lead despite six bogeys. He did enough damage with five birdies, though he admitted to some impatience on the greens.

Asher Abad (77) stayed within striking distance, while Kenzo Tan posted an 81 to sit in third.