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TRECE MARTIRES, Cavite – Rafa Anciano shook off the ghosts of her final-round collapse at Eagle Ridge, displaying remarkable composure and maturity to clinch a dominant eight-stroke victory over Levonne Talion despite an 83 in the ICTSI Sherwood Hills Junior PGT Championship on Thursday at Sherwood Hills Golf Club.
Still haunted by her sudden-death heartbreak just two weeks ago to Talion, Anciano returned with renewed focus and unwavering determination. This time, she made sure there would be no late-round collapse.
Building on her commanding five-shot overnight lead, she extended it to eight by the turn and never looked back, carding a 43-40 for a 54-hole total of 259 to clinch the girls’ 15-18 division crown in emphatic fashion.
Talion, who erased an eight-stroke deficit in the final round to force a playoff — and ultimately edge Anciano on the second sudden-death hole at Eagle Ridge — briefly threatened another stunning comeback in hot conditions.
She trimmed the gap to five strokes at one point, rekindling hopes of a rally. But Anciano held her ground this time, reeling off a steady string of pars from No. 14 and finishing with a bogey — by then, the title well in hand.
Talion faltered down the stretch, double-bogeying No. 15 and closing with back-to-back bogeys for an 86 and a 267, while Chloe Rada wound up third with a 92 for a 279.
“I was trying not to think about redemption because it would just stress me out,” said Anciano, downplaying her earlier disappointing loss at Eagle Ridge. “But in the end, as I holed out, I told myself, ‘This is it.’ I felt really good, and it gave me more confidence moving forward.”
More importantly, her commanding victory proved that even on a long course, under tough conditions, and against formidable opponents, the 16-year-old Anciano — playing her first tournament at the challenging Sherwood Hills layout — could still rise to the occasion.
“I showed that I can still play my best, that I can still perform well, and that I’m capable of winning,” she said, adding that her driving played a key role in her breakthrough win in the circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc.
In the boys’ premier category, Patrick Tambalque staged a thrilling comeback of his own. Trailing by four, he caught fire late on the front nine, then capitalized on John Paul Agustin Jr.'s stumble early at the back to seize control.
Tambalque kept his composure to finish with a 74, securing a two-stroke victory with a 224 total.
Agustin, who surged ahead with three straight birdies from No. 4, unraveled after the turn. A costly run of double bogey-bogey-bogey from No. 10 derailed his bid, and he ended up with a 75 for a 226.
Zach Villaroman, who had matched Tambalque’s rounds of 76 and 74 through 36 holes, slipped out of title contention after a frontside 40 and couldn’t recover, finishing with an 81 for third place at 231.
Tambalque credited his patience for his thrilling triumph.
“I was down by four shots, but my mindset was just to stay calm and keep going,” said Tambalque in Filipino.
After a tight battle from the first round — first with Villaroman, then with Agustin in the final round — Tambalque said he began to sense victory after birdieing Nos. 12 and 13.
“There was pressure, but you have to know how to handle it. I felt like I had the win in hand when I gained two strokes with those back-to-back birdies,” he said.
“This victory means a lot because it’s my first JPGT tournament of the year. I’m really proud of myself that even in such a close fight, I was able to come out on top,” added Tambalque.
Bien Fajardo turned in a 76 to share fourth place with Jose Carlos Taruc (79) at 236, while Rafael Leonio (78) and Andres Fabie (79) finished sixth and seventh with 239 and 241, respectively.
Anciano and Agustin thus joined Mavis Espedido and Zoji Edoc (7–10), along with siblings Lisa and Vito Sarines (11–14), in the winners’ circle of the second leg of the seven-stage Luzon series with the third stop set to unfold on Monday (April 28) at Splendido Taal.
After trailing early in the tournament with a rough 97, Anciano charged back with a 79 to seize a five-shot lead heading into the final round. A birdie on the first hole set the tone, and despite a few miscues, her rivals faltered even more.
In contrast, the boys’ championship unfolded with suspense and subtle strategy.
Agustin, who quietly stayed within striking distance after an eagle-spiked 72 in Day 2, mounted a strong charge in the final round, erasing an early bogey with that birdie-binge, propelling him past the erstwhile co-leaders, who faltered to two-over after six holes.
That surge gave Agustin a commanding four-shot lead as Tambalque, who had bogeyed Nos. 3 and 5, dropped another stroke on the seventh.
But Tambalque reignited his bid with a familiar flourish on Nos. 8 and 9, birdying both for the second straight day to spark a comeback. Gaining momentum, he pulled within one at the turn, then tied Agustin on the 10th as the latter stumbled with a costly double bogey against his own bogey.
Tambalque seized the lead outright with back-to-back birdies from No. 12 as Agustin settled for a bogey-birdie in the same stretch.
Agustin’s hopes flickered when Tambalque dropped a shot on No. 15, but they dimmed again after the former gave up another stroke on the 17th, paving the way for Tambalque’s two-shot victory.
The top finishers from this series will go on to form the North squad for the season-ending North vs South duel later this year.
Meanwhile, players from the Visayas and Mindanao regions will have their own seven-leg circuit, kicking off on May 5-7 in Mactan, Cebu. The standout players from this series will represent the South team in the inaugural North vs South showdown, scheduled for September 30 to October 2 at The Country Club.
