AJ Wacan reads the line of his putt. —CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
AJ Wacan barely made it out of a final round shootout with fellow Davao native Adrian Bisera on Wednesday, his one-under-par 71 proving just enough for a one-shot victory in the premier boys’ 15-18 division of the ICTSI Apo Golf Junior PGT Championship in Davao.
Wacan, who lost at South Pacific by 11 strokes to Bisera last week, had played with command throughout the final day, only for Bisera to nail a double eagle on the par-5 18th after a booming 4-iron from 230 yards for his second shot found the bottom of the cup and put all the pressure on the eventual champion.
It was a great turnaround for Wacan, who tallied a 54-hole 217 as he inched closer to a spot in the Elite Finals slated in October at The Country Club in Laguna.
Alexis Nailga, who won three legs before this week, struggled with an 80 for 231, while David Teves shot a 75 for fourth with a 232.
“It’s a great feeling to win on home soil,” said Wacan in Filipino. “Playing these past two weeks really taught me how to stay light and happy on the course. I’ve learned not to let distractions or frustration get the better of me.
“I just tried to enjoy the game,” he went on. “I know I still have a lot to work on, especially my long game and putting, and I’m determined to keep improving.”
It was actually a family affair for the Wacans on the final day as Merry Rose Wacan, AJ’s cousin, also broke through on the girls’ side of the 15-18 even after shooting an 83 for 237.
The 15-year-old Merry won by seven shots over Zero Plete, who fired a 79 as Crista Miñoza of Del Monte, the South Pacific champion, withdrew after nine holes because of dizziness.
“I’m really happy to get my first win here at Apo,” Merry said in Filipino. “This experience showed me how important it is to stay focused on the task at hand, no matter what’s happening around me. That mindset really helped me stay steady throughout the round.”
The Wacans thus joined fellow Davao standout Soleil Molde as champion in the four-leg Mindanao swing of the seven-stage Visayas-Mindanao Series.
Molde earlier ruled the girls’ 7-10 division, sharing top honors with boys’ 7-10 champion Jamie Barnes of Cagayan de Oro, along with 11-14 division winners Jared Saban and Brittany Tamayo, both representing South Cotabato.
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Meanwhile, the last two legs of the Visayas series, postponed due to the eruption of Mount Kanlaon last May, have been rescheduled for Sept. 15 to Sept. 17 at the Negros Occidental Golf and Country Club, and Sept. 18 to Sept. 20 at the Bacolod Golf Club in Binitin, Murcia.
