MULTI-TITLED Pamela Mariano shot a 6-over-par 78 yesterday to grab the top seeding heading into the match play event of the Class A competition of the Philippine Golf Foundation Junior Masters at the wet Alabang Golf and Country Club in Muntinlupa City.
Mariano, one of the prized finds of the Bukidnon-based Frankie Miñoza Foundation, carded nines of 40 and 38 as she zoomed ahead of the six-player field and gained an outright seat in the semifinals.
Underlining her tag as one of the up-and-coming talents from the jungolf ranks, Mariano kept her mistakes to a minimum, putting herself in good position to follow up her victory in the Mindanao leg of this tournament.
Mariano was the winner of her age group in the Philippine Amateur Golf Championship in 2012.
Daniella Uy claimed the No. 2 spot and the other semifinal spot, after submitting an 80.
Uy edged Ericka Lim via countback on a day when rain and lightning delayed play for an hour.
Lim will face Rev Alcantara in the quarterfinals, while Gabrielle Mae Crystal and Rhea Lingamin clash in the other pairing.
John Catalan took the No. 1 seed in the boys’ Class A division after shooting a 73 with Harvey Sytiongsa ending up at No. 2 with a 76.
Catalan will face Janzen Morilla, who shot an 88 in the classification phase.
Clinching the top seeds in their respective brackets were Annika Cedo (girls’ 13-14), who shot an 82, Junia Gabasa (girls’ 11-12), who carded an 84, and Laia Barro (girls’ 9-10), who submitted a 95.
Wei Wei Gao emerged as the No. 1 seed in the boys’ 13-14 category with a 76, while Aidric Chan shot a 76 for top seeding in the boys’ 11-12 division. Jolo Timothy Magcalayo signed for a 78 to gain the top seeding in the boys’ 9-10 category.