Team North stood firm under the rain and powered its way to a wire-to-wire triumph in the ICTSI North vs South Elite Junior PGT Championship yesterday.
After dominating the Four-ball format with an 8-4 win and grinding out a hard-fought 6 1/2- 5 1/2 victory in Foursomes, North proved it could also excel when the pressure was squarely on individual shoulders.
In the decisive Singles matches, they delivered yet again – claiming 11 of the 24 showdowns while halving two others – to power past the 24.5-point title threshold and seal a convincing 26 1/2-21 1/2 triumph at The Country Club.
North needed just 10 wins in the head-to-head battles to wrap up the title in this inaugural Ryder Cup-style finale.
South mounted a spirited comeback late, overcoming early setbacks to notch 11 victories and narrow the overall gap to 21-23 with several matches still to be played.
With the championship hanging in the balance, North’s Vito Sarines delivered.
Locked in a tense, all-square battle with South’s Ralph Batican, Sarines pulled off a stunning 20-yard chip-in on the treacherous 18th hole. The ball rolled into the cup, triggering a thunderous applause from the North camp and sealing a dramatic 2-up victory in the boys’ 11-14 division.