MEXICO, Pampanga — Under a heavy blanket of dark skies that trapped a suffocating, windless heat, nine-year-old Janice Cervantes delivered a thrilling back-nine resurgence to launch a gritty backdoor bid for the Elite Junior Finals.

Carding a resilient, four-over 75, Cervantes seized a commanding six-stroke lead in the girls’ 7-10 division on Monday, headlining an explosive opening round of the ICTSI Beverly Place Junior PGT Championship at the Beverly Place Golf Club.

As the penultimate leg of the six-stage JPGT Luzon Series got underway, it wasn’t just the division frontrunners making noise. Despite a 40-minute stoppage due to looming lightning threats, the massive 96-player field — one of the largest and most competitive of the season — refused to let the stifling conditions cool their fire. When play resumed, the air remained completely still and intensely hot, but the young golfers locked into a series of spirited, pressure-packed duels that effectively dismantled the leaderboard status quo.

Nobody embodied that relentless spirit better than Cervantes.

The Assumption College standout, currently sitting precariously in 10th place in the standings with just eight points, looked like a long shot after a struggling seven-over-par frontside round. But she mastered the unpredictable greens on the back nine, gunning down birdies on Nos. 11, 16 and 17 to pull away by six from Andrea Dee, who faltered with an 81.

“It’s very hard to read the speed of the greens, but I was able to get the tempo and speed in the last nine holes,” said Cervantes. “I will just focus on my putting and not let my emotions get into me.”

Should Cervantes hold on to win the maximum 15 points, she will leapfrog the absent No. 4 ranked Laura Pablo, turning the final leg at Eagle Ridge into an absolute blockbuster.

Jehanne Mendoza posted an 86, Adrianna Cabrera and Cecilia Mamauag matched 88s, and Gwyneth Handog and Elizabeth Laurel carded identical 90s.

The boys’ 7-10 class mirrored the same unpredictable energy. First-timer Andres Jeturian defied his lack of JPGT experience by firing a 75 to share the lead with Alexian Ching, two strokes ahead of Lee Sooreen (77), while current ranking No. 2 Zoji Edoc wavered with a 78.

“I got to sink six birdies, but some holes have fast greens,” said Jeturian, who remained mathematically out of the finals race but is eager to play spoiler. “I will try to play my game and not get pressured by the other players.”

In the girls’ 11-14 bracket, Georgina Handog rode the momentum of her recent Sherwood Hills victory, carding an impressive 72 to build a comfortable five-stroke cushion over Aerin Chan (77) in the event organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc.

“I was able to sink most of my putts and I got really lucky on some of them,” said the 12-year-old Handog, who adjusted her long game to survive the layout’s narrow fairways. “I actually hit most of my drives to the right, but I was able to fix them. My plan for the final round is to keep on going and don’t think about the last shot.”

Ronee Dungca shot a 78 for third, while current ranking leaders Mavis Espedido and Cailey Gonzales matched 81s, setting up a fierce final-round battle for precious ranking points.