Dumalaog, Saban gut out thrilling victories

Eliana Dumalaog gutted out a thrilling win after two holes of sudden death on Tuesday to secure the the girls’ 10-12 title, even as Jared Saban staged a stunning come-from-behind victory in the boys’ category in the ICTSI Junior PGT Mindanao Series 4 at Pueblo de Oro Golf and Country Club in Cagayan de Oro.

Dumalaog birdied the second playoff hole to beat Rafella Batican and Isabella Espina as the trio ended regulation at 161. The 10-year-old Dumalaog blew a one-shot lead with a double bogey on her final hole for an eight-over-par 80, allowing Batican and Espina to tie after both carded 79s.

Despite her victory, Dumalaog narrowly missed qualifying for the Match Play Championship, having only managed fifth-place finishes in her previous outings at South Pacific and Del Monte.

Saban, meanwhile, sealed his place in the finals with a brilliant come-from-behind victory, rallying from an eight-shot deficit to shoot a spectacular bogey-free 67 and beat Ralph Batican by three strokes with a 54-hole 146 total.

Saban birdied the par-5 17th, while Batican faltered with a double-bogey. This pivotal moment clinched the victory for Saban, not only securing his spot in the match play finals but also providing sweet redemption after finishing second to Batican in the previous leg.

Despite Batican’s loss, his earlier wins at South Pacific and Del Monte secured his spot in the finals as both tallied 30 points each. The rankings were determined by the players’ best scores from two of the four events, with the top two from each age category advancing to the finals.