RISING Cebuana golf star Tashanah Balangauan rallied from two shots down to capture the girls’ 15-18 crown in the ICTSI Negros Occidental Junior Philippine Golf Tour (JPGT) Championship after carding a 75 for a 222 three-round total on Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025, at the Marapara Golf & Country Club in Bacolod City.
The 16-year-old Balangauan capitalized when Precious Zaragosa faltered with a double bogey on No. 13, then held her nerve with a decisive four-foot par putt on the par-5 18th to secure a two-shot win — her second Vis-Min leg title.
Zaragosa finished runner-up at 79–224, while Breanna Rojas took third.
With consecutive victories, Balangauan has climbed to No. 4 in the Elite Junior Finals race with 30 points, trailing just four notches behind Zaragosa (34).
Crista Miñoza (39) and Zero Plete (37) continue to lead the standings as the competition heads into the Elite Junior Finals, set for Sept. 30 to Oct. 3 at The Country Club in Sta. Rosa, Laguna.
In the boys’ division, hometown bet John Paul Oro survived a late scare from Alexis Nailga to claim his first JPGT crown with 75–222.
Oro saw his eight-shot lead trimmed to one on the final hole, but Nailga stumbled with a double bogey on 18 to slip to second at 72–225. Azie Acuña finished third with 78–230.
On Tuesday, Denise Mendoza of Cebu carded a 70 to win the girls’ 7-10 title. She fired an opening round 72 for a two-round 142 aggregate.
The Cebuana golfer padded her 16-shot overnight lead to 27 strokes at the turn, eventually sealing a 33-shot victory over Ana Marie Aguilar (87-175), with Faith Reosura (99-189) rounding out the podium.
The win, worth 15 points, increased Mendoza’s total to 45 points, enough to unseat erstwhile series leader Soleil Molde (42) atop the rankings.
Mendoza, who dominated the Mactan and Apo legs, has qualified for the Elite Junior Finals.
“My putting was much better today – I felt more confident. Considering how I played yesterday, I’m satisfied with how I performed today,” said the 10-year-old, who stressed the importance of improving her consistency.
“I think I just need to keep working on consistency so I can perform well in every tournament. There are definitely areas where I could’ve done better,” Mendoza said.
In the boys division, Ethan Lago carded a 76 for a 146 total to post a nine-stroke win over fellow Davaoeño Lucas Revilleza, who submitted a 79 at 158.
James Rolida of Cagayan de Oro placed third with a 170 after an 87. Tobias Tiongko shot an 86 for 182, and Shaqeeq Tanog struggled with a 96 for
fifth at 183.
“It feels great. I’m really happy about it,” said Lago, who collected his second JPGT win after ruling the Mactan leg. / SUNSTAR CEBU SPORTS WITH PNA