Casuga, Pilac earn North berths with runner-up finishes at Eagle Ridge

Quincy Pilac in action during the ICTSI Junior PGT Eagle Ridge Championship. –CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

GEN. TRIAS, Cavite–Jacob Casuga and Quincy Pilac finished second in their respective divisions in the ICTSI Junior PGT Eagle Ridge Championship at the Aoki layout on Thursday to grab slots to the Elite Finals via the back door in the process.

Starting the tournament ranked sixth in the boys’ 11-14 division, Casuga roared back from five shots behind to shoot a three-over-par 75, leaving him three shots behind Chan Anh at 151 and into a tie for the fourth and last slot to the North squad with Ryu Suzuki with 30 total points.

With Suzuki finishing third, Casuga won in the tiebreak to join Vito Sarines, Anh and Javie Baustista on the team that battles standouts from the South from Aug, 17-20 at Pueblo de Oro in Cagayan de Oro.

Pilac, meanwhile, needed a big finish to stay qualify and delivered with a 72 for a 150 total. Although a late stumble denied her the title, the runner-up effort earned the ranking points she needed to secure the fourth and final girls’ 11-14 berth.

Jacob Casuga. –CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Cailey Gonzales snatched the division crown with a 75 and a 149 aggregate, while Aerin Chan struggled to a 79 and settled for third at 155.

The result sparked a dramatic shift in the standings. Pilac’s runner-up finish netted 12 points, boosting her total to 31 from only three tournaments but allowed her to edge Chan, who finished with 30 points after three third-place efforts.

In the girls’ 7-10 category, Jaicee Cervantes delivered one of the week’s most dominant performances, firing an eagle-aided 71 to complete a 147 total and romp to an 11-shot victory over Tyly Bernardino, who carded a 77 for 158. Jehanne Mendoza placed third at 160 after an 83.

The victory capped Cervantes’ remarkable late-season surge, highlighted by her triumph in the fifth Luzon leg at Beverly Place. Despite playing only the minimum three tournaments required, she amassed 38 points and clinched a Finals berth alongside Winter Serapio, Andrea Dee and Mendoza.

“I’m happy because my hard work is paying off, and I hope to bring that same consistency to the finals,” said Cervantes, whose charge was sparked by an eagle on No. 10 after holing out a 54-degree half-swing approach following a solid drive.