Return Suzuki-Serdenia face off up at John Hay
A compelling match-up in the centerpiece boys’ 15-18 division of the ICTSI John Hay Junior PGT Championship is in the offing as the seasoned national team member Shinichi Suzuki guns for some sort of payback against Charles Serdenia as they banner a loaded cast that tees off on Tuesday in Baguio.
The winner of the Mount Malarayat leg last month, the 6-foot-3 Suzuki takes great form into the 54-hole championship as Serdenia plays in the circuit for the first time this year, making the possibility of a return face-off since Serdenia beat the Filipino Japanese by two shots at Eagle Ridge last year.
Golf scholar
The son of a Navy caddy whom Inquirer Golf dubbed ‘Boy Commute’ because he takes public transport to tournaments, Serdenia was recently recruited by a college in Utah in the United States to a full golf scholarship, proof of the potential he has.
Serdenia won multiple legs in the circuit last year and will try to keep Suzuki, a member of several PH squads before he turned 15, including stints in the Putra Cup and Nomura Cup, at bay.
Making the duel interesting is the fact that the field will be playing a well-manicured course that can be getable if one has the course management skills important in navigating a bending, up and down layout that is relatively shorter than the other championship layouts.
The girls’ 15-18 category is also unpredictable as the twins Lisa and Mona Sarines lead the charge but face a stern challenge from Levonne Talion, Kendra Garingalao and hometown bet Zyrah de Leon in what promises to be a wide-open battle.
There’s also the rivalry continues between Chan Ahm and Vito Sarines in the boys’ 11-14 division as Chan Ahn and Vito Sarines as the the two have split the first two legs of the six-stage series leading to the Elite Junior Finals.
