Singson stamps class in Jax Beach Junior Open

MANILA, Philippines – Mafy Singson bucked tough conditions and gutted out a 71 to dominate the Jax Beach Junior Open, beating Alyzabeth Morgan by eight at the Jax Beach Golf Club in Jacksonville, Florida Tuesday (Wednesday, Manila time).

Singson broke away from a three-way tie after the first round with a gutsy one-birdie, one-bogey card at the front of the challenging par-71 layout then held sway with the same output at the back to top the 36-hole tournament with a 149 worth 1,600 points in the Global Junior Rankings.

The ICTSI-backed shotmaker, coming off a victory in the local pro circuit at Splendido last month, shared the lead with Morgan and Lexi Milbrant with 78s as the course played to an average of 82.70 in the first round.

But Morgan and Milbrandt succumbed to the test in the final round with the former failing to recover from a horrible five-bogey skid from No. 1 on her way to a 79 and the latter blowing it all on a ghastly backside foldup of 45 marred by two double bogeys and a closing triple-bogey for an 84.

Morgan settled for second with a 157 while Milbrant ended up fifth at 162 behind Addy Vogt, who carded a 77 for a 157, and Veona Osborne, who pooled a 160 after a 78.

Singson, priming up for next week’s FCG International in San Marcos, California and the Junior World in San Diego, swept the 15-18 Elite Tour girls’ division and the overall championship.

Meanwhile, Rianne Malixi fumbled with a four-over 76 and fell seven strokes behind Anna Song and Kaitlyn Schroeder at the start of the Rolex Girls Junior Championship at the Loxahatchee Club in Jupiter, also in Florida, Tuesday.

Malixi, who fell short of her final round rally at Stacy Lewis Junior All-Star Invitational in Arizona last week, birdied Nos. 12 and 13 to make up for a bogey-double bogey start but reeled with three straight bogeys from No. 15 for a 39-37 as she fell to a share of 25th in a field of 72.

But she lay too far behind Song and Schroeder, who matched 69s to post a three-shot lead over Jaclyn LaHa and three others with two rounds left in one of the tough tournaments on the American Junior Golf Association calendar.