Ally Gaccion: Second round 71. —CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

A day of ballooning scores that marred action in younger divisions on Wednesday had Ally Gaccion assembling a brilliant one-under-par 71 for a one-stroke lead over Zero Plete heading into the final round of the girls’ 15-18 division of the ICTSI Pueblo de Oro Junior PGT Championship in Cagayan de Oro.

The champion at Del Monte and Match Play finals winner last year, Gaccion, made the most out of her familiarity with the well-manicured layout to take a 143 aggregate into Thursday and highlight her return to competitive play with a title.

Plete fired a 72, and Crista Miñoza, who Gaccion beat by 30 strokes in taking that title in Bukidnon 11 months ago, has a chance for payback after a 74 has her trailing by just three even as Alexis Nailga opened up a four-shot lead over Clement Ordeneza in boys’ play despite struggling to a 77.

With a 148 aggregate, Nailga is 18 holes away from a third straight title as Ordeneza failed to keep in step, shooting an 80 to be four-down from just one shot behind at the start of the second round.

Meanwhile, Bukidnon’s Claren Quiño won her maiden tournament after closing out with an 84 for the girls’ 7-10 title over local bets Francesca Geroy and Abby Qiu.

Qiu fired an 83 and finished three strokes off at 168, with Geroy skying to a 92 to wind up seven shots behind, even as James Barnes won a second straight 7-10 boys’ title after a 78 for a 149 tally and a nine-shot win over Miguel Revilleza, who shot a 78.