Evangelista captures IJGT junior crown

MANILA, Philippines - Nico Evangelista made two clutch par-putts in the closing holes to salvage a one-over par 73 and capture the International Junior Golf Tour (IJGT) crown at the Shipyard Golf Club on Hilton Head Island in South Carolina recently.

Evangelista, a student at the Hank Haney International Junior Golf Academy, rolled in back-to-back long putts from No. 15 to hold off a charging Dak Spivey and pocket the 15-19 age group crown with a 145 aggregate.

The former Ateneo student matched par in the opener to seize the early lead then played consistently in the final round before leaning on his clutch par-putts to scuttle the bid of Spivey and bag his first IJGT victory.

“My driving was pretty solid and I made my putts, particularly the long ones on Nos. 15 and 16 which made the last two holes a lot easier,” said Evangelista, a fourth year high school student at Heritage Academy in South Carolina.

Spivey shot the tournament-best score of 70 but fell short of his bid as he settled for joint second with Matt Cocco, who had a 75, at 148.