Balangauan, Oro forge taut Negros victories
NEGROS OCCIDENTAL—Tashanah Balangauan stood over a four-foot putt on the 18th green surrounded by pressure. No problem.
The 16-year-old Cebuana frained the clutch par and sealed her second win in the Junior Philippine Golf Tour’s Visayas-Mindanao swing, edging Precious Zaragosa in a tense finale to the ICTSI Negros Occidental Junior PGT Championship on Wednesday.
“It was an uphill lie with a left-to-right break,” Balangauan said. “I gave it a smooth, solid stroke—and it dropped in.”
Balangauan, who started the final round two shots back, clawed her way into the lead after Zaragosa stumbled early. The two traded leads until the par-3 13th, where Zaragosa’s double bogey gave Balangauan an opening she never let go.
Then came the downpour.
“The sudden downpour on No. 15 caused all flights to pause,” Balangauan said. “It disrupted my momentum, but I had to re-stretch and refocus.”
When play resumed under gusty winds, she stayed steady. Her par-save on the final hole punctuated a 75 and a 54-hole total of 222—two shots clear of Zaragosa, who closed with a 79.
“I worked really hard for this,” said the St. Benedictine Childhood Education Centre student. “The course demanded accuracy off the tee and mental toughness on every shot.”
Zaragosa’s runner-up finish moved her to third in the series rankings, while Balangauan jumped from seventh to fourth, bolstering her bid for an Elite Finals slot.
On the boys’ side, John Paul Oro had his own tightrope walk.
The Bacolod native fended off a furious rally from Alexis Nailga, who cut an eight-stroke deficit to one going into the final hole. But Nailga’s aggressive approach backfired—a double bogey on No. 18 left him at 72 and three strokes short.
Oro’s closing 75 wasn’t perfect, but it was enough. His 222 total matched Balangauan’s winning score and delivered his first JPGT victory.
“I’m so happy. It’s my first time winning at JPGT,” Oro said in Filipino. “I really wanted to qualify for the Finals, but I couldn’t join the other legs.”
Travel constraints from Bacolod had kept him from meeting the tour’s participation minimum. Still, he heads into the final leg at Binitin with momentum.
“I thank God for giving me strength and the will to win,” he said. “And of course, I’m grateful to everyone who supports me.”
In younger divisions, runaway wins were the story. Ethan Lago and Denise Mendoza dominated the 7–10 category, while Ralph Batican’s 35-shot romp headlined the 11–14 division. Zuri Bagaloyos claimed a five-stroke win.
