“It feels good to notch my first win of the season. I wasn’t actually playing well, so this win is definitely a confidence booster,” added Padilla, who finished 21 strokes behind Shinichi Suzuki in a joint runner-up finish with Patrick Tambalque in the opening leg of the Luzon Series at Mount Malarayat.
“I started out well, which gave me a good opportunity,” said Padilla, who opened with a 64 to seize early control. “I just made sure to build on that by staying consistent throughout the round.”
Serdenia also closed out with a 69 for second at 208, Geoffrey Tan finished third at 212 after a 75, while Suzuki pooled a 215 for fourth after a 71.
In Bukidnon, Ethan Lago continued to stamp his dominance in the Visayas-Mindanao Series, delivering yet another commanding performance to seal a third straight victory in the boys’ 7-10 division with a 141 after a 69.
Despite a spirited late rally from Lucas Revilleza — who threatened with an eagle on No. 14 and a birdie on No. 17 — Lago remained unshaken. He answered with a clutch birdie on the 16th and holed out with another on No. 18, en route to another runaway six-shot win as Revilleza holed out with a double bogey for a 71 and a 147.
Stephen Clemente placed third at 159 after a 79.
“I feel proud and happy to win on my birthday,” said Lago, who turns 9 on Friday. He confirmed his participation in next week’s Pueblo de Oro leg, while stressing the need to focus on his approach shots to further strengthen his game.
In the girls’ 7-10 category, Soleil Molde turned the competition into a showcase of sheer dominance. Also hailing from Davao, Molde matched par with a 72 to finish at 146, cruising to a massive 32-stroke victory over Bukidnon’s Maxene Cabang, who posted a 178 after an 88. Faith Frayco finished a distant third at 189 after a 98.
“My game wasn’t particularly strong, and I hadn’t won as much in previous tournaments. But I remained hopeful — with God’s help, I know I can grow stronger and perform better,” said Molde, 9, whose preparation for each tournament centers on maintaining the right attitude and continually striving for self-improvement.
South Cotabato’s Brittany Tamayo coasted to victory in the girls’ 11-14 division after carding a 74 following her opening 64, finishing with a 36-hole total of 138. She won by five strokes over local standout Rafella Batican, who posted a 70 and finished at 143 after her late push fell short.
Kimberly Baroquillo took third place with a final round 77 for a 152.
Cagayan de Oro’s Ken Guillermo emerged victorious in the boys’ 11-14 category in a dramatic sudden-death playoff, outlasting South Cotabato’s Jared Saban after the latter flubbed a crucial four-foot par putt that would have extended the match.
The two were tied after regulation at the par-5 18th hole, both reaching it in three. Guillermo calmly two-putted for par to seal the come-from-behind win, capping a strong final-round charge of 69 that forced a tie at 142 with Saban, who closed with a 72.
Local standout Ralph Batican also made a late push, birdying the final two holes in regulation, but narrowly missed the playoff by a single stroke after a 69 left him at 143.