Batang qualifies for junior U.S. Open

“I’m excited about it,” Batang said.

Batang was the sixth and final qualifier from a tournament in Salinas June 18 to make the field of what is essentially a 19-and-under tournament that features 156 of the best junior golfers from around the globe.

“It’s considered the biggest tournament for girls in the world,” said South City golf coach Aaron Boyd.

Batang shot a 4-over 76 during her qualifying round at Corral De Tierra Country Club in Salinas. She finished three shots behind co-winners Hailey Borja of Lake Forest and Pleasanton’s Jasmine Chen. Both shot 1-over 73s.

Batang opened with a birdie on the par-4 first hole, but a bogey on No. 3 put her back at even and began a theme for the first nine holes of her round — take one step forward and then one step back.

She holed another birdie on the par-4 fifth hole and moved to 2-under with a birdie on the par-3 eighth hole, but she gave that shot right back with a bogey on No. 9 to put her at 1-under at the turn.

Batang struggled on the back stretch. She dropped to even with a bogey at the 11th and then finished her round with four bogeys over the final four holes — three straight on Nos. 14, 15 and 16 and again at 18 to card a 76, which put her in the final of the top six qualifying spots.

“When I finished (my round), there was still about half the field out there (still playing),” Batang said. “It was pretty nerve-racking waiting for those scores to come in.”

The wait extended to about two hours, during which time Batang would constantly go over her score to see where she could have picked up a couple more strokes.

But as the final groups started posting their scores, Batang remained in sixth place. San Jose’s Angela Liu finished one stroke behind Batang as she punched her ticket to the biggest tournament of her life.

“I was just glad the round was over and I was happy I played a good round of golf,” Batang said.

The U.S. Girls’ Junior Open is a grind to win. Monday and Tuesday are two rounds of stroke play, after which the top 64 scores will advance to match play. The eventual champion will have played five more days of match-play golf.

To put it in perspective, a round of Peninsula Athletic League golf is nine holes. The PAL and Central Coast Section championships are one round of 18 holes. A typical junior tournament will be two rounds over a weekend.

“I’ve played four rounds of 18 holes in previous tournaments,” Batang said. “I think I’m just going to take it as it comes (at Poppy Hills). I’ll just practice playing golf over and over.”

Batang should be well-suited to handle the pressures of playing on one of the most prestigious golf courses in the world because she practices and plays on one of the most prestigious courses in the world.

“I’m a junior member at (San Francisco’s) Olympic Club,” Batang said. “I try to get out and practice every day and try to get full rounds in two to three times a week. [Playing Olympic Club] is definitely a challenge. It helps my game, for sure.”

Batang’s best score on the tight, hilly course in a 1-under 71.

“She really straight (off the tee). She’s really small … and she gets the most out of her little frame on every single drive. She comes out of her shoes swinging. She’s straight and pretty darn long,” Boyd said. “She has a really good short game (too). She’s just a solid, all-around player.”

Yet despite being one of the top junior golfers in the country and qualifying for one of the biggest tournaments in the world, Batang has yet to even qualify for the Central Coast Section tournament. She is one of the top golfers in the PAL, but when it comes to qualifying for CCS, she has yet to put together a clean round in the PAL championships.

“I just haven’t had a good round,” Batang said. “I play [the PAL championships] every year and I’m just trying to better my game.”

But for Batang, the high school season is kind of her time to relax and simply have fun with the game.

“It’s just really fun to share my passion for golf with my teammates,” Batang said. “There aren’t a lot of people in our area who play golf.”

Which is what makes Batang’s accomplishment even more special for South City.

“She is a special kid,” Boyd said. “At South City, you don’t see this many types of kids come through.”