BACOLOD City – Nine-year-old Bacolod native Ana Marie Aguilar made her city proud after ruling the girls’ 7-10 division of the ICTSI Bacolod Junior PGT Championship, but the victory came with bittersweet news—she fell short of qualifying for the national finals due to limited appearances in the series.
Aguilar, a student at St. Scholastica’s Academy, posted a two-day total of 169, capping her campaign with an 86 at the Bacolod Golf and Country Club. She held off a late charge from Cagayan de Oro’s Francesca Geroy, who recovered from a poor opening round of 91 with an impressive 81 to settle for runner-up at 172. Faith Reosura finished third with 177 after carding an 87.
“It feels good to win – it boosts my confidence,” Aguilar said, crediting her short game for the win while acknowledging she still needs to improve her driving. “Never give up. Even if you have a bad shot, keep going.”
Geroy, despite finishing second, clinched the last national finals berth with 32 points, joining Denise Mendoza (45), Soleil Molde (42), and Claren Quiño (39). Aguilar, meanwhile, could not advance as she had not participated in enough Junior PGT legs.
In the girls’ 11-14 division, Bukidnon’s Rafella Batican produced a breakthrough, running away with a 13-stroke victory over Andrea Borromeo. The 11-year-old tallied a 149 total on rounds of 72 and 77 to claim both the crown and the last finals berth via countback over absentee Isabella Espina. She will join Brittany Tamayo, Kimberly Baroquillo, and Zuri Bagaloyos in the elite showdown set September 30 to October 3 at The Country Club.
“It feels amazing to win again – it’s been a while,” said Batican. “I’m excited to compete in the Finals. The pressure to win was strong. You just have to stay positive and never let bad shots get to you. You always have a chance to bounce back.”
On the boys’ side, Rafella’s brother Ralph Batican completed a wire-to-wire conquest in the 11-14 bracket, firing a sizzling opening-round 62 before closing with a 70 for a dominant eight-under 132 total, far ahead of Miguel Mesina (164) and JM Sabrosa (172).
Meanwhile, Davao’s Lucas Revilleza ruled the boys’ 7-10 category with consistent 73s for a 146 aggregate, topping Marapara leg winner Ethan Lago (154) and Tobias Tiongko (169). Revilleza also secured his slot in the national finals alongside James Barnes, Lago, and Kvan Alburo./PN
