Buenaventura lifts UP-1 to twin victories

SAN RAFAEL, Bulacan — University of the Philippines (UP)-1’s Joshua Buenaventura showcased mental fortitude, composure and competitive fire as he launched his campaign in the ICTSI Intercollegiate Tour in stirring fashion — firing a three-under 69 to capture the men’s individual crown in Friday’s opening round at the Royal Northwoods Golf Club here.

Buenaventura also spearheaded UP-1’s victorious team effort, combining with Miggy Roque’s 77 to post a 146 aggregate and power the Diliman-based squad to the men’s team title in the first leg of the four-stage series, which culminates in the grand finals from 23 to 25 September at Splendido Taal.

Emilio Carpio also turned in a 77 for UP-1 but didn’t count in the three-to-play, two-to-count format.

De La Salle University-1 took second in team play with a 150 total, led by Zachary Castro’s 71 and Jose Lorenzo Flores’ 79, while Ateneo-2 placed third with a 151 behind Ricardo Joson’s ace-boosted 73 and Matthew Mendoza’s 78.

“It’s all about practice and hard work,” said Buenaventura, 20.

“My iron play and putting were the highlights of my game, especially since I wasn’t driving particularly well today.”

Reflecting on their win, Buenaventura added: “The campus battle was really nice, especially with this being our first victory. It feels pretty good.”

“Hopefully, we’ll do even better in the next round. We have high expectations, and with more training, we’re aiming for another championship.”

In the women’s division, La Salle-1’s Julia Lua overcame a rollercoaster round of 84 to edge UP-1’s Adrienne Manhit (87) by three strokes and become the inaugural women’s individual champion of the tour, developed by the Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc. and the Philippine Golf Foundation to deliver elite-level play for varsity and independent entries.

Ateneo-1’s Monique Mendoza finished third with an 89.

Lua, 19, credited her fairway woods for helping her salvage the round, saying, “I relied on them a lot to save my score throughout the round.”

She also emphasized adaptability amid shifting weather conditions: “The key was really adjusting to the course. The rain came on and off, and the wind picked up at times, so I had to stay flexible and make adjustments as much as I could.”

Lua echoed Buenaventura’s sentiment on the inter-campus atmosphere: “The campus battle is definitely exciting. It’s fun to see how other teams match up against ours. It’s great to see so many women playing well — the competition is really strong.”

Lua had previously ruled the tour’s soft launch at Sherwood Hills last month, while Buenaventura tied for third, both proving their readiness for high-stakes competition.