LUBAO, Pampanga – Jiwon Lee and Shinichi Suzuki turned the final round of the 15-18 division of the Junior Philippine Golf Tour Luzon Series 2 into commanding victories as they posted similar 73s at the Pradera Verde Golf and Country Club on Friday, May 31, here.
Lee, who all but secured her second consecutive JPGT crown by amassing a 17-stroke lead over Reese Ng in the third round, finished with a 37-36 card, mixing three birdies with four bogeys. Her four-day total of three-under 285 bested Ng by 20 shots, setting a new record early in the series.
Ng closed with a 76 for a 305 aggregate while Lia Duque placed third with a 310, matching Lee’s over-over par score on both the first and third nines of the Pradera Verde golf complex.
The Korean’s stellar performance, highlighted by a brilliant six-under 66 in the first round, eclipsed Geoffrey Tan’s 19-shot triumph in the boys’ 11-14 category Thursday.
Suzuki, meanwhile, secured a six-shot victory over Tristan Padilla in the premier division on a 288 total.
The Manila Southwoods standout extended his overnight five-stroke lead to nine with a run of eight pars against Padilla’s four consecutive bogeys in the first nine.
Suzuki’s closing one-over par card also proved enough to cushion the impact of a wavering 38 finish.
Reflecting on his performance this week, Suzuki emphasized the need to improve his patience especially during challenging stretches of competition.
“I think the only thing I need to work on at this stage is my patience. I tend to rush my shots,” said Suzuki, referring on his second-round struggle where he scored a 78 after an impressive opening 70. He, however, rebounded with a remarkable 67 in the pivotal round, leading to his runaway victory.
Padilla staged a late rally with three birdies in a solid closing effort in the third nine, but ultimately, his 74 led to a 294 total for second. Mark Kobayashi claimed third place with a 301, also after a two-over card.
