PASADENA, California – Jed Dy, Sean Dominique Granada, Vince Tiamsic and Annyka Cayabyab pulled off contrasting victories as Team Philippines joined powerhouse Colombia as the most dominant foreign teams in the 2013 Veritas World Junior golf tournament at the Brookside Golf Club course here on Thursday (Friday in Manila).
Dy added another international crown to his collection with a come-from-behind victory in the boys 9 years division, shooting rounds of 72, 73 and 69 for a two-shot victory despite trailing by three in the final round.
Granada was just too good for his rivals in the boys 8 years bracket where he posted a winning margin of 20 strokes, Tiamsic bucked a last round meltdown to prevail in the boys 6 years by two strokes while international first-timer Cayabyab celebrated her first major victory after a wire-to-wire win in the girls 9 years.
Thus, the Philippine kids carrying the banner of the Junior Golf Foundation of the Philippines matched the four titles won by Colombia in this event that has grown in stature as one of California’s major junior competitions just on its third year. Host United States won a dozen winner’s trophies.
The four-division romp also comes a week after Kristoffer Arevalo and Paulina del Rosario won their divisions in the 13-14 years age-group and the duo of Princess Superal-Daniella Uy won the girls team event in the prestigious Callaway Junior World championships in San Diego, California.
Granada was already up by 14 after his first two 9-hole rounds of 32 and 28 in a shortened par-37 course and poured it on with a 29 in the final round. Tiamsic was four ahead with one round left after a 35 and 33. But he was lucky to survive the late charge of a California kid who made an eagle and two birdies in his last six holes.
Cayabyab savored the feeling of international success with her consistent scores of three consecutive even-par rounds of 74, leading by five at the start then made it nine the next day before coasting to a 14-stroke romp over an American entry.