Baguio bets ready to upset fancied foes

Baguio City’s rising stars play for pride in the ICTSI John Hay Junior PGT Championship starting Tuesday at the John Hay Golf and Country Club.

No longer in contention for a spot in the Luzon series’ Elite Junior Finals, the Pines City bets are turning their attention to something just as satisfying: playing spoiler.

While their path to the Elite Junior Finals may be closed, their pride, familiarity with the course, and drive to prove themselves promise to make them a formidable presence in the seventh and final leg of the Luzon regional swing.

At least 11 Baguio-based players will be scattered across the three age divisions — 7-10, 11-14, and 15-18 — for both boys and girls, each eyeing no less than a strong finish on their home course. The par-69 layout, set amidst lush pine forests and embraced by the city’s signature cool mountain breeze, offers a home-course advantage that these young players hope to translate into a statement performance.

But for those still in the running for the Elite Junior Finals of the series organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc., there's little room for sentiment or distraction.

The stakes remain sky-high for players battling for the final two spots in each age-group division, with precious ranking points on the line. Only the top four players per category — provided they have played in at least three tournaments — will qualify for the North squad.

These elite few will earn the right to compete against their Visayas-Mindanao counterparts in a Ryder Cup-style showdown set for 7 to 10 October at The Country Club in Laguna.

That makes the John Hay leg more than just another event — it’s a pressure cooker.

On one end, the local talents like Ava Laranang, Amiya Tablac and Cecilia Mamauag (girls’ 7-10) are eager to showcase their growth and shake up the leaderboard, even without a Finals berth in sight. Tablac, in particular, has appeared in four tournaments but remains short on points to break into the Top 4, making this leg a personal mission for redemption and pride.

The same goes for Marco Angheng and Zane Lim in boys’ 7-10, and for Skye Robles and Zoey Laranang in the girls’ 11-14 division. Ethan Datuin is poised to bring the heat in the boys’ side of the same age bracket, while Mharisse Datuin (girls’ 15-18), Xian Robles and Rafael Sambrana (boys’ 15-18) aim to punch above their weight and rattle the contenders.