Denise Mendoza, 10, wows 'em with a 64 in Davao JPGT leg

DAVAO CITY, July 10 ------ The youngest guns rose to the occasion in the opening round of the ICTSI South Pacific Junior PGT Championship. But none came close to matching the electrifying brilliance of prodigy Denise Mendoza in the 7-10 division.

The 10-year-old Cebuana turned a tight contest into a personal showcase, coming through with a six-birdie blitz from No. 10 at the South Pacific Golf and Residential Estates that produced a 64 and transformed the competition into a one-girl show. “I was surprised – I really didn’t expect to score this low, especially on a course I’ve never played before,” said Mendoza, who credited her spectacular round to a simple but powerful piece of advice from her dad Paolo: “Stay calm and stick to the basics, especially when you hit a bad shot or things start to go wrong.”

With a massive 23-stroke lead over Del Monte leg winner Soleil Molde heading into the final round of the 36-hole competition, Mendoza isn’t letting up. “I’ll just play exactly the same way,” said the Cebu Learning Center standout with quiet confidence.

Her nearest challengers faded in the opening round – Molde posting an 87 and Francesca Geroy limping home with a 91. In the boys’ side, Jamie Barnes remained firmly on track for a third straight title after clutch birdies at the end of his round highlighted his 71, giving him a commanding eight-shot cushion over Davao’s Miguel Revilleza. While his finish didn’t match Mendoza’s jaw-dropping backnine, Barnes’ own closing run – three birdies on the last three holes at the front – was enough to seize full control of the boys’ 7–10 category.

In the 11-14 division, also played over 36 holes, South Cotabato’s Jared Saban moved to the brink of victory after back-to-back third-place finishes at Del Monte and Pueblo de Oro. He carded a 74 to seize a three-stroke lead over Guio Pasquil in the boys’ category. In the girls’ 11-14 class, Brittany Tamayo, also from South Cotabato, dazzled with a three-under 69. The Mactan leg winner stormed to a commanding seven-stroke lead over Del Monte leg champion Kimberly Baroquillo, who struggled with a 76, while Zuri Bagaloyos posted a 78. Meanwhile, in the premier category contested over 54 holes, local bets AJ Wacan and Adrian Bisera took control of the boys’ division with rounds of 72 and 75, respectively. Korean Eric Jeon remained within striking distance after a 76, while CDO’s Armand Copok recovered from a shaky 41 at the turn with a strong closing 36 for a 77 – five shots off the lead.

In the girls’ 15-18 division, Davao’s Merry Rosa Wacan birdied the par-5 No. 7 on her way to salvaging a 77, then watched Del Monte’s Crista Miñoza stumble with a late bogey on No. 8, resulting in a tie at five-over. That set the stage for a shootout in the next two days as Del Monte leg winner Zero Plete failed to recover from a disastrous backside 46, limping home with an error-strewn 42 for an 86 – nine shots off the pace. Mikela Guillermo fell two strokes further back with an 88.

Source: spin.ph