Nailga, Plete make Del Monte proud

BUKIDNON — Alexis Nailga and Zero Plete rose to the occasion with gutsy final-round efforts to clinch wire-to-wire victories in their respective divisions and rescue home pride after a string of missed opportunities at the ICTSI Del Monte Junior PGT Championship on Friday.

Nailga and Plete, both Del Monte bets, weathered shaky closing rounds — 75 and 77, respectively — to secure wins in the boys’ and girls’ 15-18 divisions, preserving Bukidnon’s presence on the winner’s podium in the kickoff leg of the Mindanao swing of the Visayas-Mindanao Series.

Nailga holds off Ordeneza in all-Bukidnon duel.

Nailga, 16, entered the final round with a three-shot cushion but found trouble early with a double bogey on No. 2 and a bogey on No. 3, opening the door for fellow Bukidnon standout Clement Ordeneza to draw level at one-over.

But as tensions built, it was Ordeneza who blinked first. A double bogey on the fifth handed Nailga a one-shot lead at the turn — an advantage he clung to with clutch pars coming home. He capped his gritty performance with a closing birdie for a 217 total, three clear of Ordeneza, who also signed off with a 75.

“It was a close fight after my early struggles, but I managed to stay composed the rest of the way,” said Nailga, whose final-hole birdie put an exclamation point on a back-to-back title run, following his win in Mactan last month.

“I hit a solid drive, followed it up with a strong second shot, and drained a 24-footer for birdie — that was the highlight of my round,” he added.

Armand Copok grabbed third place via countback over Vince Naranjo after both finished at 226 following rounds of 73 and 74, respectively.

Plete survives Miñoza scare in dramatic finish.

Plete mirrored Nailga’s wire-to-wire feat, but hers came with even more drama. After building a seven-shot lead heading into the final round, she watched it shrink to just one stroke on the 18th hole, with hometown rival Crista Miñoza surging hard in the closing stretch.

Despite bogeys on three of her last six holes, Plete sealed the win with nerves of steel — chipping to within two feet on the final hole after chunking her third shot and calmly tapping in for par. Her 227 total edged Miñoza by one.

“There was pressure, especially since Crista played really well today,” Plete admitted. “After chunking my third shot, I was left with just 10 yards. But I told myself to stay focused — I was lucky to pull off that chip and one-putt for the win.”

Miñoza mounted a valiant rally with a fiery three-birdie stretch starting on No. 3, and closed with a solid 71 for 228. Her approach on 18 gave her a look at birdie, but she couldn’t convert, settling for second despite a final-day surge.

Davao’s Precious Zaragosa carded a 74 and placed third with a 229 total.

Plete, who returned to competitive golf this year after a long break, said the victory was a huge confidence booster heading into the next leg at Pueblo de Oro.

“It feels amazing to win again, but it also adds pressure going into next week,” she said.

Local bets bounce back after early setbacks.

The twin victories by Nailga and Plete more than made up for Del Monte’s winless bid in the younger age brackets, where visiting players dominated.

Davao’s Soleil Molde and Kimberly Baroquillo ruled the girls’ 7-10 and 11-14 divisions, respectively, with wire-to-wire wins, while Cagayan de Oro’s Jamie Barnes and Ken Guillermo pulled off similar feats in the boys’ side — completing a rare clean sweep of front-running victories across all categories.

But in the week’s most anticipated showdowns — the premier 15-18 brackets — it was the hometown bets who delivered under pressure, showcasing not just skill, but the mental grit to win when it mattered most.