Rolando Bregente Jr. etched his name into collegiate golf history after ruling the inaugural NCAA Season 101 Golf Tournament presented by the Philippine Sports Commission on Wednesday, May 20, at the Wack Wack Golf and Country Club.

The 24-year-old Lyceum of the Philippines University standout fired a composed one-over-par 73 on the West Course to secure the historic championship. Bregente leaned on five birdies during his final round to finish ahead of University of Asia and the Pacific’s Zach Villaroman by a single stroke.

College of St. Benilde golfer Sean Granada settled for third place, two shots behind the champion. The victory marked another milestone for Bregente, who previously emerged as a two-time NGAP championship division winner earlier this year.

Bregente reflected on the significance of winning the first-ever NCAA golf title and admitted he wanted to make sure his name would forever be part of collegiate history. The Bukidnon native also credited Philippine golf icon Frankie Minoza as the inspiration behind his journey in the sport.

Historic NCAA breakthrough

Bregente’s rise in golf started at a young age while growing up around the Del Monte Golf and Country Club in Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon. His father worked as a caddie, allowing him to discover the sport and begin developing his skills at just eight years old.

The Lyceum golfer has since become part of the national team and previously finished fifth in the Southeast Asian Games in Thailand. His NCAA triumph further highlighted his steady development from a provincial talent into one of the country’s rising golfers.

Philippine Sports Commission chairman Patrick Gregorio described the NCAA golf tournament as a major breakthrough for grassroots sports development. He said the competition perfectly aligned with the PSC and National Golf Association of the Philippines’ Fairways to the Future program.

Gregorio emphasized the importance of creating tournaments to complement grassroots development programs. He also praised the NCAA for adding golf, weightlifting, boxing, and gymnastics to the league calendar for the first time in its long history.

The PSC and NGAP initiative aims to transform government-owned and partner golf courses into training grounds for aspiring athletes. The partnership is also expected to strengthen the pathway from grassroots competitions to elite-level tournaments.

CSB dominates team play

College of St. Benilde captured the team championship after collecting 115 points behind Granada and a strong supporting cast that included Miguel Aguilar, Nathan Jasper Lee, Isaac Ong, Christian Adrineda, and Andrei Lee.

Lyceum secured second place in the team standings with 101 points with Bregente receiving support from teammates Jan Philippe De Claro and Michael Ray Bolano. UA&P finished third with 95 points led by Villaroman, Chloe Rada, and Johann Pancho.

In the Open division, San Beda’s Ice Reyes carded a four-over-par 76 to edge Mapua’s Armand Cajayon and Letran’s King Gabriel Raymundo. CSB also dominated the Open team event with another 115-point performance.

Lyceum’s Bolano registered the tournament’s longest drive at 325 yards while Raymond Paconla delivered the most accurate drive on No. 13. CSB golfer Miguel Aguilar also claimed the nearest-to-the-pin award after landing within four feet and three inches on No. 8.

The guest division title went to Ian Umali, who edged Mark Ronquillo despite both golfers finishing with identical scores of 80. Paolo Sunga completed the podium after carding an 83.