The Philippines’ Reese Allyson Ng birdied the final hole to edge Chinese Shixin Kang for the girls’ Class A title in the Asian Junior Masters at the Black Mountain course in Thailand on Sunday.
Needing a birdie in the last three holes to hold off a surging Kang, Ng did just that on 18, capping a scrambling 72 and a 1-under total.
Kang, playing ahead of Ng, birdied the last three holes to shoot a 72.
Ng parred the first 13 holes before stumbling with a bogey on 14. After a string of three pars, she took advantage of the par-5 finishing hole to clinch the crown.
Gabie Rosca took third place on 4-over after a closing 75.
Shinichi Suzuki, Nicole Gaisano Gan and Emilio Gabriel Hernandez also made it to the podium, finishing third in their
respective divisions.
Suzuki, competing in the boys’ Class B, shot a 67 to finish on 10-under 206.
Gan, the surprise first-round leader after a 68, slipped to joint second on 214 after a closing 74 in the girls’ Class C bracket.
Hernandez, the overnight leader, wound up with a 75 and slid to a share of third on 214.
There were other Filipinos who shone.
Lia Duque came in fourth on 226 after a 75 in the girls’ Class B, Aerin Chan was fourth in girls’ Class D following a 75, and Miko Granada placed fifth in the boys’ Class A on 220 after a 71.
How the Filipinos fared:
Boys’ Class A – Miko Granada 71-220, fifth; Edison Tabalin 71-222, joint sixth;
Girls’ Class A – Reese Ng 72-215, first; Gabie Rosca 75-220, third;
Boys’ Class B – Shinichi Suzuki 67-206, third; Tristan Padilla 72-226, 22nd;
Girls’ Class B – Lia Duque 75-226, fourth; Alessandra Luciano 79-243, joint 12th;
Boys’ Class C – Emilio Gabriel Hernandez 75-214, joint third; David James Teves 78-242, joint 13th;
Girls’ Class C – Nicole Gaisano Gan 74-215, joint second; Precious Zaragosa 76-225;
Boys’ Class D – Race Manhit 70-218, joint seventh; Ryuji Suzuki 77-229, 13th;
Girls’ Class D – Aerin Chan 75-218, fourth; Alexandra Kay Mauricio 78-249, eighth.
