Tight race shapes up for 15-18 title at Alta Vista
Tashanah Balangauan found early pressure in her quest for a second straight 15-18 girls’ title in the ICTSI Junior Philippine Golf Tour circuit after Dominique Gotiong fired a matching three-over-par 75 at the start of the Alta Vista Championship on Wednesday in Cebu.
Finishing a distant second to Balangauan at Mactan Island last week, Gotiong had two late birdies to highlight her round as she made the most out of the wider fairways at the exclusive layout compared to the bouncy, narrow fairways of Mactan Island last week.
“I just want to keep improving, because I still had two double bogeys (in the first round),” the 17-year-old Gotiong said as she chases the follow up win to the Bacolod triumph she had last year.
The boys’ race had David Gothong, who played sick in finishing fifth last week, seizing control after an 80, leading Lucas Demiar and Sebvastian Sajuela by four shots.
Alexis Nialga, who ran away with the title in Mactan, is absent this week because of a prior commitment, making for a wide-open race in the chase for valuable ranking points that will count for inclusion in the Vis-Min team for the national finals.
Meanwhile, Lucas Revilleza and Avery Go took command of their respective 7-10 classes after shooting a 74 and 75, respectively.
Revilleza, who is playing the mountainside course for the first time, built a two-shot lead over fellow Davao native Ethan Lago, while Go leads Zoey Mascariñas by three , with Mactan leg champion Akeisha Yocte another two shots behind after an 80.
“My driving just clicked today,” Revilleza, a 9-year-old from Rizal Memorial Colleges, said. His round could have been a lot better if not for a four-putt blunder on the 13th that soured what would have been a very respectable first time effort.
