CAGAYAN DE ORO—Simon Wahing boosted his preparations for the upcoming ICTSI Junior PGT Match Play Championship, winning the boys’ 16-18 age category by six over Cliff Nuñeza and John Rey Oro despite an 80 at the close of the Mindanao Series 4 here yesterday (Thursday).
Ally Gaccion also delivered impressively, securing her spot in the national finals with a dominant win in the girls’ premier division of the regional series which offered two berths in the national finals for each age division, including 8-9, 10-12 and 13-15.
Despite a shaky start that led to a pair of 40s, Wahing finished with a 72-hole total of 308, as Nuñeza and Oro failed to capitalize on his early stumble and faced their own difficulties on the challenging Robert Trent Jones, Jr.-designed course.
Nuñeza carded a 78 for a 314 total, while Oro posted a 79 to also wind up with a 26-over aggregate with the former bagging runner-up honors via countback.
Both Wahing and Oro had already secured their places in the Match Play Championship, scheduled for Oct. 1-4 at The Country Club in Canlubang, through their top finishes in the Visayas series. Their participation this week served as a crucial preparation for the year-end finale of the nationwide circuit sponsored by ICTSI and organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.
Wahing, looking ahead to the Match Play Championship, acknowledged the need to improve his putting, particularly on short putts.
“My driving and pitch shots are solid, but I really need to work on my putting. I missed a lot of four-footers today (Thursday),” said Wahing, the 17-year-old standout from Del Monte.
Nuñeza, who had won the Del Monte leg the previous week, earned the second finals berth from the Mindanao series, joining Aldrien Gialon, who topped the Apo and South Pacific stages, in the head-to-head finale.
Gaccion, meanwhile, sustained her top form, finishing with a second consecutive 72, marked by four birdies, for a remarkable four-over 292. Her performance underscores her readiness to compete at the highest level in the series, which recognizes and nurtures young talents and develops their characters.
“I had a good round and a strong finish, except for the last hole. Overall, I’m really pleased with my game today,” said Gaccion, who highlighted her performance with a chip-in birdie from 30 yards on the ninth hole.
As she heads to the national finals, the Cagayan de Oro native plans to focus on improving her iron play, which has been challenging throughout the week. “I need to refine my iron game to get closer to the pin,” said Gaccion.
She also stressed the importance of ball control, especially with the windy conditions expected at The Country Club.
Crista Miñoza secured second place with a 330 after an 89 and also qualified for the Match Play finals where she will join Gaccion, along with Visayas series 16-18 topnotchers Dominique Gotiong and Rhiena Mae Sinfuego.
Meanwhile, the Luzon series will resume with the final three legs starting on Aug. 10 at Luisita, followed by the penultimate stage at Mount Malarayat from Sept. 2-5, and concluding at Sherwood Hills from Sept. 10-13.
For details and registration, contact PGTI’s Jhi Castillo at 0928-316-5678 or Shiela Salvania at 0968-311-4101.
