MANILA, Philippines — The Junior Philippine Golf Tour (JPGT) enters a high-intensity stretch this week as the summer series moves to Alta Vista Golf and Country Club in Cebu and Summit Point Golf and Country Club in Batangas.
Following a successful opening week in Mactan and Mt. Malarayat, the country’s top young golfers are back on the fairways to secure crucial ranking points for the Elite Junior Finals scheduled for September 2026.
The second leg of the Vis-Min series kicks off Monday, April 13, at the challenging Alta Vista layout in Cebu. Unlike the flat terrain of Mactan, Alta Vista is known for its mountainous terrain and small, elevated greens.
- Tamayo’s Return: South Cotabato’s Brittany Tamayo and Jared Saban are the favorites in the 11-14 division. Both players missed the Mactan leg due to prior commitments but are looking to repeat their dominant performances from last year.
- Chasing Back-to-Back Wins: Tashanah Balangauan (Girls 15-18) and the duo of Akeisha Yocte and Ethan Lago (7-10 division) are aiming for their second consecutive victories after sweeping their categories in Mactan last week.
- Premier Boys’ Wide Open: With Mactan winner Alexis Nailga skipping this leg, the premier boys’ title is up for grabs among contenders like Roman Tiongko, Sebastian Sajuela, and David Gothong.
Meanwhile, the Luzon circuit heads to Lipa City, Batangas, for its second leg starting Tuesday, April 14.
- New Opportunities: The field is wide open as some of the first-leg winners from Mt. Malarayat are currently competing in international tournaments in Japan.
- Players to Watch: Chan Ahn (Boys 11-14) and Winter Serapio (Girls 7-10) are the top seeds for the Batangas leg. In the boys’ 7-10 division, Zach Guico enters with high momentum following a successful stint at the US Kids Thailand Championship.
- 15-18 Division: With the absence of the Sarines twins and Shinichi Suzuki, rising talents like Levonne Talion, Chloe Rada, Bien Fajardo, and Enzo Corpuz are expected to fight for the top spots.
Organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc., the JPGT is a six-stage regional circuit designed to identify the best young talent in the Philippines.
- Ranking Points: Players must compete in at least three legs to qualify for the national rankings. Only their best three results will be counted.
- North vs. South: The top four players from each age category (7-10, 11-14, and 15-18) in both the Luzon and Vis-Min series will earn a spot in the Elite Junior Finals at The Country Club in Laguna from Sept. 15-18, 2026.
The summer schedule was specifically chosen to allow student-athletes to participate without missing school, ensuring the deepest possible talent pool for this year’s championships.