Serdenia, Lee rule junior golf age bracket

Lee Ji Won (left) and Charles Serdenio show off their medals. —CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

LAUREL, Batangas—Down three after nine holes, Charles Serdenia needed just one break to turn things around.

He caught it on hole No. 13, where a short birdie putt resulted in a two-shot swing that gave him a one-stroke lead en route to the title in the boys’ 15-18 division of the Junior Philippine Golf Tour (JPGT) Luzon Series I at the Splendido Taal Golf Club here on Friday.

Serdenia wound up with a 74 and a 311 total to eventually by four, after Zachary Villaroman faded under the weight of that two-stroke swing—immediately on the next hole, Viollaroman stumbled with a triple bogey.

“This win is memorable. It’s my first time becoming a JPGT champion,” said Serdenia, who turned 15 on Thursday. “I told myself that I wouldn’t let go until I secured the win. Fortunately, I birdied both Nos. 12 (12 feet) and 13.”

“However, heading to No. 14, I was extremely nervous because I was 1-up, so I just decided to aim for the green and two-putt,” he added.

Villaroman ended up with a 79 for second with a 315, while Alexander Crisostomo placed third with a 323 after an 81.

Pivotal double

In the girls’ division, Lee Ji Won hammered out a whopping 13-stroke victory over Lia Duque, finishing with a 75 for a 17-over 305 total over 72 holes. Duque faltered with an 82 for a 318 while Anna Fernandez claimed third place with a 343 after an 81.

“I wasn’t really expecting to win. But I’m very grateful,” said Lee. “I was just trying to keep my score and do better than my previous tournaments. My goal was to finish around 15-over for four days.”

“I didn’t quite meet that expectation, but I learned from this experience, and now I’m confident I can manage my score better in the future,” she added.

While Villaroman rued his triple bogey on 14, he acknowledged that his double bogey on No. 9 was equally pivotal.

“I was one-under going to No. 9 but made a double-bogey,” said Villaroman, after missing his chance in the kickoff tournament of the nationwide 14-leg circuit sponsored by ICTSI.

The Luzon series continues with the Pradera Verde tournament in Lubao, Pampanga, on May 28 to 31, followed by the Pinewoods Golf Club event in Baguio on June 11 to 14.

Ranking points are awarded at each leg, with the top four players in the boys’ and girls’ divisions after the Luzon swing qualifying for the Philippine Junior Match Play Championship at The Country Club in October.