Nailga leads jpgt pueblo de oro title chase

Fresh from a rousing victory at Del Monte, Alexis Nailga bids to add the ICTSI Junior PGT Mindanao Series which gets going Tuesday at Pueblo de Oro Golf and Country Club in Cagayan de Oro.

“It’s a great feeling scoring back-to-back wins and learning how to play composed,” said the 15-year-old standout after edging fellow Bukidnon bet Clement Ordeneza in a thrilling homegrown showdown at Del Monte last Friday.

Nailga’s three-stroke triumph came on the heels of his dominant victory at the Mactan leg of the Visayas Series last month, propelling him to the top of the leaderboard with 30 points in the race for slots in the ICTSI North vs. South Elite Junior Finals slated 7 to 10 October at The Country Club.

Under the structured JPGT format, the top four players from each division after the seven-leg regional series will qualify for the Vis-Min squad, which will square off against the Luzon Series’ best in the Finals.

But Nailga remains wary of the growing challenge from rivals such as Ordeneza, last week’s third placer Armand Copok, and contenders Martin Lu, Enrico Rosales, Fawzi Espinosa, Eric Jeon and Santi Asuncion.

Also looking to bounce back is Mhark Fernando III, son and namesake of the former national champion and pro campaigner, who aims to improve on his fifth-place finish at Del Monte. Fernando hopes to find his rhythm and make the necessary adjustments in the 54-hole event tournament.