TEAM North fought for every point down the stretch to escape with a crucial 7-5 victory over South in Foursomes in Day 2 of the International Container Terminal Services Inc. North vs South Elite Junior Philippine Golf Tour Championship at the Pueblo de Oro Golf and Country Club in Cagayan de Oro on Wednesday.
North surged to an imposing 8-4 lead midway through the alternate-shot format, but South refused to fold and 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.
But North 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 also halved their match against Tashanah Balanguan and Precious Zaragosa-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 to preserve 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.
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,’ Anciano said. ‘So definitely, the matches today were very, very exciting. Kudos to the other team also, which put up the lineup well.’
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, 3and1, while Javie Bautista and Jacob Casuga rebounded strongly from their Four-ball setback with a 5and4 rout of Jared Saban and Ken Guillermo; and Chan Ahn and Vito Sarines routed Ralph Batican and Mico Woo, 6and4, in boys’ 11-14.
North also continued to flex its strength in the girls’ divisions-Jaicee Cervantes and Andrea Dee made it two straight wins with a 2and1 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, 2and1, 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 4and3 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.
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 5and3 triumph over Lisa Sarines and Rafa Anciano, bouncing back from their Four-ball loss.