IN a remarkable display of resilience, skill and poise, Charles Serdenia emerged victorious in a tense back-nine duel against Zachary Villaroman, clinching a four-stroke triumph with a closing 74 in the boys' 15-18 division of the Junior Philippine Golf Tour Luzon Series I at the Splendido Taal Golf Club in Laurel, Batangas.

Serdenia's victory was cemented by a crucial two-shot swing on No. 13, which he birdied from 6 feet, marking a stunning fightback from being three strokes down with nine holes to play to seizing a one-stroke lead. He then capitalized on Villaroman's faltering performance, including a disastrous triple-bogey on the 14th, to secure the win with a 311 total.

Villaroman failed to recover from that costly 7 and ended up with a 79 for second with a 315, while Alexander Crisostomo placed third with a 323 after an 81.

In the girls' division, Jiwon Lee dominated with a whopping 13-stroke victory over Lia Duque, finishing with a 75 for a 17-over 305 total over 72 holes. Duque faltered with an 82 for a 318 while Anna Fernandez claimed third place with a 343 after an 81.

"This win is memorable. It's my first time becoming a JPGT champion," said Serdenia, who turned 15 on Thursday, in Filipino. "I told myself that I wouldn't let go until I secured the win. Fortunately, I birdied both Nos. 12 (12 feet) and 13."

"However, heading to No. 14, I was extremely nervous because I was 1-up, so I just decided to aim for the green and two-putt," he added.

For her part, Lee mentioned that she didn't expect to win, as her focus was on finishing around 15-over over 72 holes.

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