Wahing, Gaccion primed for JPGT Match Play

CAGAYAN DE ORO, Philippines —  Simon Wahing boosted his preparations for the upcoming ICTSI Junior PGT Match Play Championship, winning the boys’ 16-18 age category by six over Cliff Nuñeza and John Rey Oro despite an 80 at the close of the Mindanao Series 4 here yesterday.

Ally Gaccion also delivered impressively, securing her spot in the national finals with a dominant win in the girls’ premier division of the regional series which offered two berths in the national finals for each age division, including 8-9, 10-12 and 13-15.

Despite a shaky start that led to a pair of 40s, Wahing finished with a 72-hole total of 308, as Nuñeza and Oro failed to capitalize on his early stumble and faced their own difficulties at the challenging Robert Trent Jones Jr.-designed course.

Nuñeza carded a 78 for a 314 total, while Oro posted a 79 to also wind up with a 26-over aggregate with the former bagging runner-up honors via countback.

Both Wahing and Oro had already secured their places in the Match Play Championship, scheduled Oct. 1-4 at The Country Club in Canlubang, through their top finishes in the Visayas series. Their participation this week served as a crucial preparation for the year-end finale of the nationwide circuit sponsored by ICTSI and organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.

Wahing, looking ahead to the Match Play Championship, acknowledged the need to improve his putting, particularly on short putts.

“My driving and pitch shots are solid, but I really need to work on my putting. I missed a lot of four-footers today (Thursday),” said Wahing, the 17-year-old standout from Del Monte.