Marvelous Mona: Sarines blitzes John Hay field; Padilla delivers

BAGUIO CITY — Mona Sarines turned a sibling showdown into a statement victory, unleashing a blistering five-under 64 to rout twin sister Lisa by 11 strokes in the girls’ 15-18 division of the ICTSI John Hay Junior PGT Championship here on Thursday.

What had shaped up to be a tight final-round duel quickly became a one-sided march as Mona delivered a near-flawless performance at the John Hay Golf Club. She mixed four birdies with a spectacular eagle on the par-5 17th, overpowering the field and finishing with a 54-hole total of 210.

“I’m very proud of myself for winning — my first of the season — and I’m also proud of scoring a 64 today,” said Mona, 14, whose key to victory was rediscovering her swing, which had been missing at Mount Malarayat.

“I was also able to play smarter this week and I didn’t really mind my score and just made sure to execute my swing properly,” she added, highlighting her explosive finish with an eagle, set up by a solid drive and a superb 5-wood approach that landed just nine feet from the pin.

Lisa, who defeated Mona by three at Mount Malarayat, carded a 72 for second at 221, while Levonne Talion shot a 73 to finish third at 234.

In the boys’ premier division, Tristan Padilla showcased grit under pressure, overcoming a mid-round stumble to secure a six-stroke victory with a second straight 69 and a wire-to-wire five-under 202 total over 54 holes.

“My round was very erratic. I had three double bogeys and six bogeys, so it was really an up-and-down kind of game,” said Padilla, 17, of Manila Southwoods, who also highlighted his growing affinity for winning in Baguio after claiming a breakthrough victory at Pinewoods two years ago.

“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.