GOOD AS ADVERTISED

SILANG, Cavite — Zoji Edoc lived up to the hype surrounding his rising star status, overcoming a rocky backside with a composed and steady frontside finish to card a 79 and seize a six-stroke lead in the boys’ 7-10 division in the ICTSI Riviera Golf Junior PGT Championship at the Riviera Golf Club here on Tuesday.

The fifth leg of the seven-stage regional series, held at the challenging Couples course, also saw fresh faces surge into contention, injecting new energy into the battle for slots in the Elite Junior Finals in October. Among the breakthrough performers were Ronee Dungca, Zianbeau Edoc, Marqaela Dy and Gabriela Sison, all of whom stepped up under pressure and harsh playing conditions.

Edoc shook off a shaky start at the back, rebounding with a two-birdie, one-bogey effort at the front for a 35-44 round, giving him a commanding lead over James Padron, who carded an 85, heading into the final round of the 36-hole tournament.

Halo Pangilinan struggled with an 86, trailed by Asher Abad (87), Alexian Ching (90) and Giulio Ballado (95).

With a win at Sherwood Hills and two runner-up finishes, a victory here would cement Edoc’s hold on the second Finals berth, joining three-leg winner and first qualifier Zach Guico.

“I hit my irons well and picked up two birdies on the front nine,” said Edoc, brimming with confidence following a third-place finish at the Junior World Championships in San Diego.

“I played solidly in the first two rounds but struggled in the last day. Still, it was a good experience and I really enjoyed it.”

Poised for a second-leg victory in the Luzon Series, the eight-year-old Gracewoods Academy student from Pasig is keeping his approach simple for the final 18 holes, saying: “If you get a bogey, just bounce back.”

In the girls’ youngest division, Dungca showcased her immense potential, taking full advantage of her sharp form and the late withdrawal of top contender Venus delos Santos to fire a 73.

Her round featured six birdies, including back-to-back conversions on the final two holes, propelling her to a huge nine-shot lead over Tyra Garingalao, who struggled with an 82.

Ziyu Liu put in an 84, while Penelope Sy posted an 87.

“The experience has been really nice. I like the course — it’s a great way to improve my skills and learn from my mistakes,” said Dungca, 9, who turned in an impressive performance despite having little to no prior knowledge of how competition unfolds in the series organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc.

While her round was nothing short of superb, Dungca said the highlight of her debut wasn’t her score, but the friendships she began to form.

“The best part was meeting new people and not having a bad day,” she said.

Now on the verge of capping a successful JPGT debut, Dungca kept her final round game plan under wraps but emphasized one key thing: “I’ll just enjoy myself, keep playing my game, and try to go lower than five-under.”

But it was the course — and the weather — that turned out to be the field’s biggest test. With Riviera’s fairways softened by rain and its greens rendered unpredictable by intermittent sunshine and showers, consistency was hard to come by. Strong gusts of wind swept through the layout from all directions and the sun would break through only to be chased away minutes later by thick clouds and brief downpours, a pattern that repeated throughout the day.

Zianbeau Edoc also made a strong statement in the competitive boys’ 11-14 group, led by Jacob Casuga and Race Manhit, as he turned in a 78, highlighted by two birdies, to wrest a four-stroke lead.

Despite missing the first four legs of the series, the 14-year-old Junior Golf Academy standout showed no signs of rust, leaning on a steady long game to take charge of the two-day event.

“The best part of my game today was my tee shots,” said Edoc, who nonetheless grappled with the tricky greens, including a costly four-putt on the par-4 12th that led to a double bogey.

Still, the miscue did little to derail his title bid.

“I couldn’t get the speed right today, but it’s okay,” he said, optimistic about a potential sweep with his younger brother.

“I’ll try to cut down on my mistakes and recover on the holes where I slipped.”

Casuga and Jacobo Gomez turned in identical 82s to trail in joint second, while Nathaniel Yeung and Lujo Gomez carded 83 and 84, respectively. Manhit, who opened with a promising 39 at the back, stumbled with a 46 on the front for an 85, dropping to sixth place.