Batican pulls off 21-shot win in JPGT Mindanao Series 3 golf tilt
BUKIDNON – Playing on a familiar course can often add pressure to a golfer, as the expectation of home-field advantage looms large. Ralph Batican, however, shattered this notion by mastering the Del Monte layout as if he had designed it himself.
In an impressive display of skill, Batican fired a bogey-free seven-under 65 in hot conditions in the first round of the ICTSI Junior PGT Mindanao Series 3 here on Tuesday. He then outdid himself with a stunning 11-under 61 in the second round yesterday, once again without a single misstep, securing the boys' 10-12 age category crown via a 21-shot victory on a whopping 18-under 126 total.
Though his age group played from the shorter white tees, Batican's flawless 36-hole performance is remarkable, given the course's challenges and hazards from tee to green. Mistakes like botching chip shots from 30-40 yards and making three putts are common, but he navigated them with ease.
“This is my first time scoring this round,” said Batican of his performance, which he highlighted with five consecutive birdies starting from Hole No. 9. This birdie streak followed his birdies on four of the first seven holes. He gained another stroke on the 15th and concluded with a birdie on the par-5 18th hole, cheered on by a large gallery surrounding the green.
“It was good, and luckily I didn’t make a single bogey in two days,” said the 12-year-old prodigy from Libona, who recently won the South Pacific leg via sudden death over Jared Saban. “My approach shots were good, but I’ve been practicing those shots for the longest time. I was hoping not to get a bogey, and it worked.”
Despite the challenges posed by the tight, tree-lined layout and unpredictable greens, the Lifehouse Montessori Academy student approached the game conservatively. “I didn’t attack the pins, because if I did, I would get a bogey,” he explained. “I just played it safe the whole day.”
The result was an overwhelming victory as Batican posted a record with his flawless performance, the most impressive thus far in the nationwide series sponsored by ICTSI, culminating in the Match Play Championship at The Country Club in October. He outplayed Ken Guillermo by 21 strokes, with
