By Jean Malanum
MANILA – Shinichi Suzuki beat Zachary Villaroman by three in the final round and bagged the Splendido Taal leg title with a 72 in the boys’ 15-18 division of the ICTSI Junior PGT Championship in Batangas on Wednesday.
Suzuki tallied 219 to secure the win before the Luzon series pauses for the Visayas-Mindanao (Vis-Min) swing, which starts in Mactan, Cebu on May 5.
Villaroman, third in the series’ first two legs at Eagle Ridge and Sherwood Hills, improved to second with a 222 after a 76. Despite the loss, he still leads the points race for the national finals with 32 points, followed by Suzuki at 27.
“The key was staying patient because this course is pretty difficult, especially the greens. I had a great experience in Japan, where it was much windier. That helped me refine my club selection and learn to play with the wind instead of fighting it. I was able to hit a lot of greens and stay consistent,” said the 16-year-old Suzuki, a student of St. Francis of Assisi in Biñan, Laguna.
Meanwhile, Rafa Anciano defeated Angelica Bañez by 36 strokes despite a closing 96 for a 54-hole total of 260 in the girls’ 15-18 category.
“It was fun, but I put a lot of pressure on myself to score well because I really wanted to. Unfortunately, I didn’t quite meet my goal, so it was a little disappointing not to end on a high note,” said the 16-year-old Anciano.
“But a win is still a win. I played well over the first two days, even on such a tough course, and I’m happy with that.”
Zach Guico and Mavis Espedido (7-10) and Ryuji Suzuki and Mona Sarines (11-14) were the other winners in the third of the seven-leg Luzon series organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. (PNA)
