BACOLOD City – Cebu’s Tashanah Balangauan staged a stirring comeback while Bacolod native John Paul Oro thrilled the home crowd with a breakthrough triumph as they bagged the marquee titles in the ICTSI Negros Occidental Junior Philippine Golf Tour (JPGT) Championship on Wednesday.
Balangauan, 16, overturned an early deficit in the girls’ 15–18 division, capitalizing on Precious Zaragosa’s late miscues to clinch a two-stroke win. She carded a 75 for a 222 total over 54 holes, while Zaragosa slipped with a bogey on the final hole to settle for 79 and 224. Breanna Rojas ended third with 285.
The Cebuana, who also topped the Mactan stop four months ago, held her nerve despite a weather delay.
“The sudden downpour on No. 15 caused all flights to pause, which disrupted my momentum a bit,” Balangauan said.
She added, “I trusted my preparation and just focused on each shot. Every time I go through my routine, I commit fully. I tried not to hesitate – just play with confidence.”
She secured victory with a par on the 18th and dedicated the win to her family and supporters.
In the boys’ 15–18 division, Oro fended off Alexis Nailga’s spirited charge to emerge with a three-stroke victory. The Bacolod bet closed with a 75 for a 222 aggregate, outlasting Nailga, who mounted a comeback from eight shots down but faltered with a double bogey on the last hole to finish with 72 and 225. Azie Acuña placed third at 230 via countback over Mhark Fernando III.
“I’m so happy. It’s my first time winning at JPGT,” said Oro. “I really wanted to qualify, but I couldn’t join the other legs. It’s hard to travel from Bacolod to Cebu or Mindanao.”
Though his win won’t count toward the JPGT Finals due to participation requirements, Oro’s breakthrough, paired with Balangauan’s steady rise, underscored the growing depth of youth golf talent in the Visayas./PN
