Contrasting victories

LUBAO, Pampanga — Zachary Villaroman and Korean debutant Seeun Pak fashioned contrasting wins in the ICTSI Pradera Verde Junior PGT Championship here Thursday, dominating the 15-18 division but in strikingly different fashion.

While Villaroman fought fiercely to finally taste victory after five legs of near-misses with a closing 75, Pak cruised to a commanding title in her maiden appearance in the country’s premier junior circuit, navigating the tough Pinatubo layout with poise despite a closing 85.

Both players capitalized on the sizeable leads they built over the first two rounds of the 54-hole event, the penultimate leg of the seven-stage Luzon series organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc., turning the final 18 holes into a virtual coronation walk — albeit on different paths.

For Villaroman, the win was as sweet as it was overdue. After one runner-up and three third-place finishes in the prior legs, the 73-70-75 effort that brought him to a two-over 218 total finally pushed him to the top of the leaderboard.

But it didn’t come easy.

“It feels great to finally have a breakthrough after six legs,” said the 17-year-old Villaroman, who trains at the Canlubang Golf and Country Club and credits his breakthrough to better decision-making on the course.

“It took a while because my course management wasn’t at par with the others. But once I was able to fix that, my game really improved.”

Villaroman added that this win is a significant milestone in his budding golf career.

“This win means a lot. It serves as a stepping stone for all my international events this year,” said Villaroman, who beat Jose Carlos Taruc by seven.

He confirmed he will be competing at the John Hay leg next week, aiming to end the Luzon series with back-to-back victories.

The clutch victory also propelled him to No. 3 in the rankings with 37 points, with Patrick Tambalque (45 points) and Shinichi Suzuki (39) keeping the first two spots heading into next week’s final leg at Camp John Hay in Baguio.

Taruc carded a 76 to finish second with a 225 total, while Kristoffer Nadales took third with a 77, finishing at 234 to grab the No. 4 spot with 32 points with Taruc at fifth with 30 points.

Only the Top 4 players who’ve competed in at least three tournaments qualify for the Elite Junior Finals set for 7 to 10 October at The Country Club in Laguna.

There, Luzon’s top juniors will face off against the best from the Visayas-Mindanao leg in a Ryder Cup-style North vs South duel.

Pak, on the other hand, barely broke a sweat in wrapping up a runaway 17-stroke romp over local standout Tiffany Bernardino, tallying a 249 aggregate. Her second-round hole-in-one served as the highlight of her runaway win, which she capped with an 85.

Despite the stifling heat and the course’s challenges, none of her rivals mounted a serious threat. Bernardino closed with an 89 for 266, nipping Chloe Rada, who fumbled with a 93, in the countback for second.

Angelica Bañez finished fourth at 276 after a 94.

Pak’s win was not only dominant but impressive, claiming the crown in her very first JPGT events.

Bernardino’s runner-up effort solidified her hold of the No. 4 spot in the series standings with 30 points, while Rada stayed at third with 32 points behind leader Rafa Anciano (45) and No. 2 Levonne Talion (39).

“I wasn’t satisfied with my game today, but I’m thankful I won,” said Pak, an 18-year-old homeschooled student from Angeles City, Pampanga.

“I’m happy to win this leg, but I think I still need to practice more for the next tournament.”

However, Pak won’t be able to compete in the final leg of the Luzon series at John Hay next week, as she already has a prior commitment.

“I really want to play in Baguio,” she said.

“But I have an important schedule that week, so I can’t.”

Pak also revealed that she had considered playing in earlier legs of the JPGT but opted out due to self-doubt.

“I wanted to join the previous JPGT events, but I didn’t have the confidence. So I didn’t play. But I practiced a lot,” she shared.

That hard work clearly paid off.

In the younger divisions contested over 36 holes, Zoji Edoc and Ronee Dungca topped the 7-10 category, while Zianbeau Edoc and Lisa Sarines ruled the 11-14 division to join Villaroman and Pak at the podium.