Hometown favorites Apollo Batican and Ally Gaccion showcased their skills at the PLAY GOLF Northern Mindanao Junior Open, which took place from November 30 to December 1 at the Pueblo de Oro Golf and Country Club in Cagayan de Oro, Misamis Oriental.

Apollo Batican, who recently won the Singha Junior World, requested to compete in a higher age bracket, and won the WAGR Boys division with rounds of 72, 74, and 75. In a display of composure beyond his years, Batican made an easy par on the first sudden-death playoff hole to edge out seasoned competitor Charles Serdenia, capturing his first WAGR Boys division victory in his home course. 

Ally Gaccion, who will be attending the University of Central Arkansas in the fall of 2025, topped the WAGR Girls division with a total score of 5-under par over 54 holes. She narrowly surpassed fellow national team player Reese Ng, who finished with a score of 3-under par.

In the Class C Boys division, Ryuji Suzuki from Luzon claimed first place with scores of 78 and 71. Eliana Dumalaog won the Class C Girls division with scores of 83 and 84. Mindanaoan Alonzo Retuerto led the Class D Boys with a total of 86 and 84, while local favorite Athena Batican topped the Class D Girls division with an impressive two-day score of 5-under, totaling 70 and 69. Franco Estrella, a young talent from Villaroman Golf Academy, won the Class E Boys with scores of 74 and 77, while Sistine Yu captured the Class E Girls title with scores of 102 and 91.

The Northern Mindanao Junior Open was a successful inaugural event for PLAY GOLF, bringing together 86 junior golfers from the provinces of Luzon and Mindanao. “We will definitely return and bring more participants from Luzon to Northern Mindanao to encourage camaraderie and foster lasting friendships among junior golfers,” stated Cyna Rodriguez, PLAY GOLF Tournament Director and former LPGA Tour player.

Tournament Results are as follows: 

Boys 15-18: Charles Serdenia (70-70-81); Patrick Tambalque (77-72-73); Shinichi Suzuki (73-75-75); Alexis Nailga (73-78-72); Zach Villaroman (80-68-77)

Girls 15-18: Ally Gaccion (69-72-70); Reese Ng (70-73-70); Celine Abalos (75-74-77); Zero Plete (78-78-73); Crista Minoza (79-76-74)

Boys 13-14: Apollo Batican (72-74-75); Mhark Fernando (81-77-74); Scott Ng (79-77-81); David Teves (80-85-79); Seth Santos (84-83-96)

Girls 13-14: Precious Zaragoza (80-75-77); Blair Uyking (78-82-77); Tiffany Bernardino (86-81-88)    

Boys 11-12: Ryuji Suzuki (78-71); Franco Qui (78-73); Edward Guillermo (81-79); Nathan Yeung (84-89); Mico Woo (92-85);

Girls 11-12: Eliana Dumalaog (83-84); Isabella Espina (89-80); Angel Wahing (96-98); Yvonne Colim (102-100); Magoya Acacio (131-126)

Boys 9-10: Alonzo Retuerto (86-84); Rio Sia (95-89); Rafael Yap (97-96); Ralph Borce (100-101); James Langamin (101-105)

Girls 9-10: Athena Batican (70-69); Venus Delos Santos (91-80); Abby Qiu (101-103); Elly Geroy (108-102); Ghiela Bautista (120-120)

Boys 8 and Under: Franco Estrella (74-77); John Tabil (84-87); Marlou Langamin (95-82) Harley Bautista (96-101); Adrian Ty (107-97)

Girls 8 and Under: Sistine Yu (102-91); Tyly Bernardino (107-96)

Full leaderboard can be found at www.playgolf.ph