MANILA, Philippines — Team North appeared headed for another runaway victory after racing to a commanding lead, only to find itself fighting for every point down the stretch before escaping with a crucial 7-5 victory over South in Foursomes in Day 2 of the ICTSI North vs South Elite Junior PGT Championship at the Pueblo de Oro Golf and Country Club in Cagayan de Oro Wednesday.

What looked like another North romp quickly turned into a test of nerve.

North surged to an imposing 8-4 lead midway through the alternate-shot format, with its depth once again on full display. But South refused to fold, launching a spirited comeback that steadily chipped away at the deficit and turned what had appeared to be a one-sided affair into a gripping finish.

The hosts produced a string of clutch performances in the closing encounters. With momentum firmly on their side, South pulled within striking distance at 4-6 and needed only to win the final two matches to salvage a dramatic overall draw for the day.

North, however, held its nerve when the pressure peaked.

Jakob Taruc and Nathan Belandres battled from three holes down in the stretch and forced Clement Ordeneza and Sebastian Sajuela to an all-square finish, while Mona Sarines and Kendra Garingalao likewise halved their match against Tashanah Balanguan and Precious Zaragosa, with both matches ending level in the 15-18 division.

Those two halves proved decisive.

Instead of completing the comeback, South was forced to settle for a split of the day’s final two points, leaving North with a 7-5 victory and, more importantly, preserving its advantage heading into the remaining singles matches.

North consequently stretched its overnight three-point cushion to five points, 14 1/2-9 1/2, putting itself in a strong position heading into the deciding singles matches of the North-South duel on Thursday.

But the scoreline hardly told the whole story.

The day was marked by wild swings in momentum, lopsided results and matches that went down-to-the-wire. North controlled the early stages and seemed poised to bury the hosts under another avalanche of points. South responded with the urgency of a team with its back against the wall, winning key matches and capitalizing on North's inability to close out the final stretch.

By the time the last few matches came around, the complexion of the competition had changed completely.

North team captain Joey Anciano said his side’s comeback in the boys’ 15-18 category was crucial in salvaging a draw and making for an exciting day of matches.

“We came from 3-down in the boys’ 15-18 to force a draw. So definitely, the matches today were very, very exciting. Kudos to the other team also, which put up the lineup well,” said Anciano.

Asked what went according to plan and what did not, Anciano pointed to the two all-square matches as a major turning point.

“The two all-square matches were very crucial for us. That gave us a 7-5 win today. So it was unexpected, but we’re very fortunate to have that win. Credit to the players for putting their heart out,” he said.

Anciano admitted that the team’s original goal was simply to avoid falling behind in the highly unpredictable alternate-shot format.

“Actually, the plan was, at the very least, we get 6-6 today because alternate is a very, very hard format. That makes it very, very unpredictable. So we’re very fortunate that we saved an all-square for the two matches to have a two-point lead today,” he added.

With the deciding singles matches up next, Anciano vowed that North would go all-out in its bid to secure the overall victory.

“We hope that the first seven to 10 matches would be in our favor, so we can win the tournament,” he said.

For South team captain Boyet Zaragosa, the biggest setback came in the boys’ 15-18 category, where his team squandered a big lead late in the match.

Zaragosa rued the collapse, but remained encouraged by the overall performance of his players.

“What failed for us was the boys’ 15-18. We were 3-up going into the last four holes, but they managed to tie the match. Overall, it was a good lineup,” said Zaragosa in Filipino.

Despite South trailing by five points heading into the deciding singles, Zaragosa remained defiant.

“We’ll fight tomorrow,” he said.

He acknowledged, however, that South would need to overcome a difficult matchup in the 7-10 category.

“We’re a bit down in the 7-10 category, but we still have a chance in the other matches,” he added.

Zaragosa also stressed that the singles matches could hinge on momentum, making the final day difficult to predict.

“Actually, it’s difficult to match up because all of them (North) are very good. But it still depends on who gets off to a good start because in match play, it’s more about momentum. But it will be exciting,” he said.

South had erased much of North's early advantage and was threatening to turn the entire day around. North needed composure more than brilliance.

And that was exactly what it delivered.

The two late all-square finishes denied South the sweep it needed in the girls’ premier category and allowed North to walk away with another crucial victory – one secured not through domination, but through resilience when its early advantage had nearly disappeared.

The result underscored the competitive nature of the North-South showdown, with neither side willing to give ground despite North’s early control and South repeatedly staring at a widening gap.

Like in Day One, North came out firing, winning four of the first five matches, including a sweep of the boys’ 11-14 division. But South showed its resilience in the boys’ 7-10 class, where Stephen Clementer and Ethan Lago produced a dramatic late comeback to edge Zach Guico and Kingston Ching, 1-up, on No. 18.

Lago blasted brilliantly from the greenside bunker to within pin length, and Clementer calmly converted the putt to snatch the victory, drawing loud cheers from the home gallery.

Zoji Edoc and Kenzo Tan answered for North in the other boys’ 7-10 match, repulsing Lucas Revilleza and Darren Ong, 3&1, while Javie Bautista and Jacob Casuga rebounded strongly from their Four-ball setback with a 5&4 rout of Jared Saban and Ken Guillermo; and Chan Ahn and Vito Sarines routed Ralph Batican and Mico Woo, 6&4, in boys’ 11-14.

North likewise continued to flex its strength in the girls’ divisions. Jaicee Cervantes and Andrea Dee made it two straight wins with a 2&1 decision over Vanya Go and Soleil Molde.

South, however, responded with another clutch performance as Akeisha Yocte and Blake Aguilar pulled ahead late to stun Winter Serapio and Jehanne Mendoza, 2&1, in a finish that drew another round of applause from the gallery.

The visitors also strengthened their advantage in boys’ 15-18, where Shin Suzuki and Santi Asuncion remained perfect as a partnership after a 4&3 romp over Alexis Nailga and Roman Tiongko. Cailey Gonzales and Georgina Handog added another North point in girls’ 11-14, edging Brittany Tamayo and Rafella Batican, 1-up, in another thriller.

At that stage, North appeared firmly in control.

But South saved its best for the stretch run, winning crucial matches until North fought with draws in the premier division.

Zuri Bacaloyos and Marqaela Dy hacked out a hard-fought 2-up victory over Mavis Espedido and Quincy Pilac in girls’ 11-14, preserving their perfect 2-0 record in the series, while Apple Gotiong and Lois Lane Go capped the South rally with a convincing 5&3 triumph over Lisa Sarines and Rafa Anciano, bouncing back from their Four-ball loss.

The result also added another layer to an increasingly familiar North-South pattern.

Last year, North carried an identical 14 1/2-9 1/2 advantage after the opening two team formats before taking control in the Singles and winning 26 1/2-21 1/2 at The Country Club. North captured 11 of the 24 singles matches and halved two others on the way to the convincing overall victory.

This year's North side now has another five-point lead to protect — but South has already shown that the gap is anything but safe.

With the hosts refusing to surrender and momentum capable of shifting with every match, the stage is set for another fiercely contested Singles finale.

For North, the task is simple: protect the lead.

For South, the challenge is even clearer: turn another comeback into a complete turnaround. TMT

Manila Times

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