Tashanah Balangauan and John Paul Oro Triumph at ICTSI Negros Occidental Junior Philippine Golf Tour

In Bacolod City, Cebu’s Tashanah Balangauan mounted an impressive come-from-behind victory in the girls’ 15–18 division at the ICTSI Negros Occidental Junior Philippine Golf Tour (JPGT) Championship on Wednesday. Meanwhile, local favorite John Paul Oro captivated the home crowd by claiming the boys’ 15–18 title in a breakthrough performance.

Balangauan, 16, overcame an early setback to defeat Precious Zaragosa by two strokes, finishing with a score of 75 and a 54-hole total of 222. Zaragosa struggled on the final hole with a bogey, finishing at 79 and a total of 224, while Breanna Rojas secured third place with an aggregate of 285.

Despite a weather delay caused by a sudden downpour at the 15th hole that interrupted play, Balangauan maintained her composure. She reflected, "The sudden downpour on No. 15 caused all flights to pause, which disrupted my momentum a bit. I trusted my preparation and just focused on each shot. Every time I go through my routine, I commit fully. I tried not to hesitate — just play with confidence." She clinched victory with a par on the 18th hole and dedicated her triumph to her family and supporters.

In the boys’ division, Bacolod-born John Paul Oro held off a determined challenge from Alexis Nailga to win by three strokes. Oro completed his round with a 75, tallying a total score of 222. Nailga mounted a late comeback from eight shots behind but faltered with a double bogey on the final hole, finishing with a 72 and an aggregate of 225. Third place went to Azie Acuña, who edged out Mhark Fernando III via countback with a total score of 230.

Expressing his excitement, Oro said, "I’m so happy. It’s my first time winning at JPGT. I really wanted to qualify, but I couldn’t join the other legs. It’s hard to travel from Bacolod to Cebu or Mindanao." Although Oro’s win does not qualify him for the JPGT Finals due to participation rules, his success alongside Balangauan’s consistent performance highlights the expanding pool of young golfing talent emerging from the Visayas.

Their victories underscore the dynamic growth of junior golf in the region as Visayas-based players continue to make their mark on the national stage.