By Jean Malanum
MANILA – Ronee Dungca carded a three-over-par 72 to take a commanding lead after 18 holes of the girls’ 7-10 division in the John Hay JPGT Championship in Baguio City on Tuesday.
The nine-year-old from Angeles City, coming off back-to-back victories at Riviera and Pradera Verde, boosted her chance of securing one of four berths to the Elite Junior Finals.
“The course is tough, so I had to stay focused to keep making birdies. I still need to work on my putting, but I’m feeling a little more confident,” Dungca said.
She posted an eight-shot lead over Tyra Garingalao (80), with Amiya Tablac (83) in third and Venus delos Santos in fourth with 92.
Dungca, who has 30 points, is tied for fifth with Penelope Sy in the standings – and another win here would give her 45 points, enough to potentially match current leader Mavis Espedido.
With only the top three scores of each player in the series counted for qualification, the final round looms large for several contenders. A win earns 15 points, followed by 12, 10, and eight points for the next top finishers.
Winter Serapio (37 pts), Delos Santos (34), and Garingalao (32) remain very much in the race, making Wednesday’s final round a decisive showdown.
In the boys’ division, Zoji Edoc shot a two-over 71 to take a three-shot lead over local bet Marco Angheng (74).
Quezon City’s Michael Matias carded an 82 for joint third with Samuel Ababa, while Jethro Bayron had a 99.
“I was hitting solid shots with my driver and irons,” said Edoc, who already qualified for the national finals with 45 points along with three-leg winner Zach Guico.
The North vs South Elite Junior Finals is set Oct. 7-10 at The Country Club in Laguna. (PNA)
