Ong, Aguilar triumph at Marapara to make South squad

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Darren Ong and Ana Marie Aguilar secured their spots to the Junior PGT Elite Finals after completing torrid final round rallies to rule their respective 7-10 divisions of the ICTSI Negros JPGT Championship at Negros Occidental Golf and Country Club on Tuesday.

Ong copped the boys’ crown by a staggering 22 shots after shooting an 80 for a 36-hole total of 156 over the tree-lined layout formerly known as the Marapara, even as Aguilar closed out with an 82 for 156 and a one-shot win over Vanya Go.

“I’m so excited to play in the Grand Finals,” the 9-year-old Ong said. “I’m going to practice hard to turn my weaknesses into strengths, but my goal is to keep playing pressure-free.”

Aguilar signed for a regulation par on the long par-5 18th, which was enough to win her duel with Go, who stumbled with back-to-back triple bogeys from No. 9 that allowed Aguilar to win a second straight leg after dominating at Binitin last week.

Aguilar’s back-to-back victories meant a massive points haul, vaulting from No. 5 to No. 2 in the final standings with 40 points to join top-ranked Soleil Molde (42) and the resilient Go (39) in the South team for the finals.

“I definitely felt the pressure when I fell one or two down, but I just stayed confident and focused on my game,” said the 10-year-old Aguilar from St. Scholastica’s Academy-Bacolod.

Relying on her irons, precise chipping and solid bunker play to stay in contention, she expressed her relief and excitement for the next stage.