Chiu rules JPGT Negros tilt, earns finals slot

BACOLOD – Stacy Rane Chiu achieved an extraordinary victory in the ICTSI JPGT Visayas Series 3 on Wednesday, not only securing the girls’ 13-15 category title at the Negros Occidental Golf and Country Club but also earning a coveted spot in the Philippine Junior Match Play Championship.

Chiu garnered 15 crucial points with her remarkable come-from-behind win, tying at the top with Bernardino with 27 points from a victory and a runner-up finish. This edged out Alexie Gabi, who amassed 25 points, for the last berth in the national finals at The Country Club in Laguna this October.

Chiu also surpassed Gabi for second place at the Bacolod Golf and Country Club in Murcia, a tournament won by Bernardino the previous week. Gabi, who won the first leg in Iloilo, aimed to join Bernardino in the national finals with a runner-up finish in Bacolod.

However, Bernardino squandered a three-stroke lead with two holes to play, stumbling with a double bogey and a bogey for an 87 and a 263 total. Chiu matched this with gritty closing pars for an 85, forcing a sudden death playoff.

Both players bogeyed the first playoff hole on No. 1, with Chiu tenaciously staying in contention. The Cebuana native then showcased her resilience, winning the par-4 opening hole with a par as Bernardino struggled with her bunker shots, needing five strokes to reach the green.

“I stayed calm and took it shot by shot because you never really know what will happen,” said Chiu, whose improbable victory added drama and excitement to a series otherwise marked by dominant performances.

“I felt a lot of pressure being seven strokes down after nine holes as I kept making bogeys. Despite catching up to Tiffany in the last nine holes, the pressure remained,” said the 15-year-old Chiu, who sank a crucial 14-foot putt for par on the 54th hole to force a tie.

In the boys’ 13-15 category, Tiongko maintained firm control with a closing 80, securing victory over Gabriel Handog despite a frontside 41. He finished with a total of 234, defeating Handog by 10 strokes. Handog ended with an 82 for a 244, while Inno Flores finished third with a 255 after an 81.

With back-to-back victories, Tiongko accumulated 30 points,