BACOLOD CITY — Mhark Fernando III and Lois Lane Go delivered clutch performances under pressure to capture their respective titles in the ICTSI Bacolod Junior PGT Championship at Bacolod Golf and Country Club on Friday.
Fernando, from Zamboanga, survived a tense back-nine battle against local favorite Eddie Gonzales Jr. to secure the boys’ 15-18 division crown by a single stroke.
Holding a three-shot lead entering the final round, Fernando appeared in control before a double bogey and a bogey on the back nine allowed Gonzales to rally and briefly grab the lead with a birdie on No. 12.
The momentum shifted again when Gonzales stumbled with consecutive bogeys on Nos. 13 and 14. Both players birdied the par-5 15th before the title came down to the final hole.
Needing a birdie to force a playoff, Gonzales missed his bunker shot but salvaged par with a brilliant chip-in, carding a 71 and finishing at 155.
Fernando then faced a pressure-packed par putt after his birdie attempt rolled past the hole. The son of a former national champion calmly drained the two-footer, saving a 73 and clinching the title at 154.
“I stayed patient and just played my game,” said Fernando, who admitted feeling nervous after his double bogey on No. 10. “I focused on hitting fairways and greens and settled for two-putts.”
The victory earned Fernando 15 ranking points, boosting him to No. 2 in the Visayas-Mindanao Series standings and strengthening his bid for a spot in the Elite Junior Grand Finals.
Ritchie Go finished third with a 74 for a 158 total.
In the girls’ 15-18 division, Go staged a remarkable comeback from seven strokes behind to edge fellow Cebuana Tashanah Balangauan by one shot.
Balangauan carried a commanding lead into the back nine, but a double bogey on No. 10 and additional mistakes on Nos. 14 and 16 opened the door for Go, who birdied Nos. 11 and 15 to catch up.
After both bogeyed the 17th, the championship was decided at the par-3 18th. Go hit her tee shot to within 13 feet and calmly drained the birdie putt after Balangauan narrowly missed her own birdie try, sealing a final-round 70 and a 155 total.
“The key to this win was my putting,” said Go, 16. “I just focused on my game and stayed calm when I started making up ground.”
Balangauan finished runner-up at 156, while Mikela Guillermo placed third at 171.
