Junior PGT staging earns praise from top young golfers

MANILA, Philippines -- For Mona Sarines and Javi Bautista, being able to play in the ICTSI Junior PGT Series is a fresh impetus to their growth as players dreaming of becoming big someday.

“I enjoyed the JPGT Series because the tournaments are like the ones in Thailand. It is so organized that it makes me want to play in more (JPGT) tournaments in the future,” said Sarines, one of two siblings, the other being Lisa, who made it to the national finals of the girls’ 11-12 division of the inaugural series which features the drive, chip and putt (DCP) challenge and 18-hole tournaments.

She racked up two victories in stroke play formats and nailed one in DCP to lead the finals cast with 30 points culled from her three best points total in five rounds.

Precious Zaragosa came in second with 29 points on two victories and a couple of runner-up finishes while Lisa Sarines pooled 25 points for third followed by Tiffany Bernardino and Althea Bañez, who scored 20 and 19, respectively.

“My overall experience was really fulfilling,” said Mona. “I wasn’t expecting to be the overall champion (in the elims) but I was hoping to win. I was really happy with my performance and it really made want to win so I did my best and I won,” said Mona.

Bautista also used that mindset to top the boys’ 11-12 play on a victory each in DCP and 18-hole tournament and a runner-up effort in the other stroke play worth 29 points.

He towed Aenzo Sulaik, who scored 25 points, and Jacobo Gomez, Iñigo Gallardo and Lujo Gomez, who matched 23-point outputs to the finals that will also feature the top finishers in the other age-group divisions, including boys’ and girls’ 9-10, 13-14 and 15-18.

Spicing up the finals cast are 19 qualifiers from the JPGT VisMin Series.

Like Mona, Bautista relishes the chance to play in the pioneering circuit designed to provide the youngsters a venue to sharpen their skills in all aspects of the game and develop their mental toughness at the early stages of their respective careers.

“I just started competing last year actually,” said Bautista. “So with the local organizing golf tournaments I have joined, I can say that this ICTSI JPGT Series, so far, is the most organized.