BAGUIO – Mona Sarines turned a sibling showdown into a statement victory, unleashing a blistering five-under 64 to rout twin sister Lisa by 11 strokes in the girls’ 15-18 division of the ICTSI John Hay Junior PGT Championship here on Thursday, April 30.

What had shaped up to be a tight final-round duel quickly became a one-sided march as Mona delivered a near-flawless performance at the John Hay Golf Club. She mixed four birdies with a spectacular eagle on the par-5 17th, overpowering the field and finishing with a 54-hole total of 210.

“I’m very proud of myself for winning – my first of the season – and I’m also proud of scoring a 64 today,” said Mona, 14, whose key to victory was rediscovering her swing, which had been missing at Mount Malarayat.

“I was also able to play smarter this week and I didn’t really mind my score and just made sure to execute my swing properly,” she added, highlighting her explosive finish with an eagle, set up by a solid drive and a superb 5-wood approach that landed just nine feet from the pin.

Lisa, who defeated Mona by three at Mount Malarayat, carded a 72 for second at 221, while Levonne Talion shot a 73 to finish third at 234.

In the boys’ premier division, Tristan Padilla showcased grit under pressure, overcoming a mid-round stumble to secure a six-stroke victory with a second straight 69 and a wire-to-wire five-under 202 total over 54 holes.

“My round was very erratic. I had three double bogeys and six birdies, so it was really an up-and-down kind of game,” said Padilla, 17, of Manila Southwoods, who also highlighted his growing affinity for winning in Baguio after claiming a breakthrough victory at Pinewoods two years ago.

“It feels good to notch my first win of the season. I wasn’t actually playing well, so this win is definitely a confidence booster,” added Padilla, who finished 21 strokes behind Shinichi Suzuki in a joint runner-up finish with Patrick Tambalque in the opening leg of the Luzon Series at Mount Malarayat.

“I started out well, which gave me a good opportunity,” said Padilla, who opened with a 64 to seize early control. “I just made sure to build on that by staying consistent throughout the round.”

Serdenia also closed out with a 69 for second at 208, Geoffrey Tan finished third at 212 after a 75, while Suzuki pooled a 215 for fourth after a 71.

In Bukidnon, Ethan Lago continued to stamp his dominance in the Visayas-Mindanao Series, delivering yet another commanding performance to seal a third straight victory in the boys’ 7-10 division with a 141 after a 69.

Despite a spirited late rally from Lucas Revilleza – who threatened with an eagle on No. 14 and a birdie on No. 17 – Lago remained unshaken. He answered with a clutch birdie on the 16th and holed out with another on No. 18, en route to another runaway six-shot win as Revilleza holed out with a double bogey for a 71 and a 147.

Stephen Clemente placed third at 159 after a 79.

“I feel proud and happy to win on my birthday,” said Lago, who turns 9 on Friday (May 1). He confirmed his participation in next week’s Pueblo de Oro leg, while stressing the need to focus on his approach shots to further strengthen his game.

In the girls’ 7-10 category, Soleil Molde turned the competition into a showcase of sheer dominance. Also hailing from Davao, Molde matched par with a 72 to finish at 146, cruising to a massive 32-stroke victory over Bukidnon’s Maxene Cabang, who posted a 178 after an 88. Faith Frayco finished a distant third at 189 after a 98.

“My game wasn’t particularly strong, and I hadn’t won as much in previous tournaments. But I remained hopeful – with God’s help, I know I can grow stronger and perform better,” said Molde, 9, whose preparation for each tournament centers on maintaining the right attitude and continually striving for self-improvement.

South Cotabato’s Brittany Tamayo coasted to victory in the girls’ 11-14 division after carding a 74 following her opening 64, finishing with a 36-hole total of 138. She won by five strokes over local standout Rafella Batican, who posted a 70 and finished at 143 after her late push fell short.

Kimberly Baroquillo took third place with a final round 77 for a 152.

Cagayan de Oro’s Ken Guillermo emerged victorious in the boys’ 11-14 category in a dramatic sudden-death playoff, outlasting South Cotabato’s Jared Saban after the latter flubbed a crucial four-foot par putt that would have extended the match.

The two were tied after regulation at the par-5 18th hole, both reaching it in three. Guillermo calmly two-putted for par to seal the come-from-behind win, capping a strong final-round charge of 69 that forced a tie at 142 with Saban, who closed with a 72.

Local standout Ralph Batican also made a late push, birdying the final two holes in regulation, but narrowly missed the playoff by a single stroke after a 69 left him at 143.

In the 15-18 division, homegrown talents made their presence felt as Alexis Nailga and Zero Plete took control in contrasting fashion. Nailga surged from five shots back with a closing 69 to grab the lead at 141, moving two strokes clear of Clemente Ordeneza, who slipped with a 74 after an earlier 69 for a 143. Cagayan de Oro’s Martin Lu posted a 71 but remained in third at 148, too far back to contend.

Plete carded a 73 to maintain her hold on the lead for a second straight day, finishing with a 146. However, Davao’s Precious Zaragosa stayed within striking distance at 147 after her own one-over round, setting up a compelling, pressure-filled duel for the championship in the final round on Friday.

Mikela Guillermo stood in distant third at 156 after an 82.