8-year-old Zoji Edoc wins bronze in Junior World Championships boys' 7-8 division

Zoji Edoc, an eight-year-old Filipino golfer from Davao, secured third place in the Junior World Championships boys' 7-8 division on Thursday (Friday Manila time) with a final round score of 78 and a total of 221.

Edoc led by one stroke after rounds of 71 and 72 but struggled in the final round, bogeying the first two par-5s and dropping another stroke early on before salvaging a birdie on No. 5.

Despite efforts to recover, Edoc's hopes for a title were dashed with a costly double bogey on the par-4 14th hole but managed to end positively with a birdie on the par-5 18th.

Hugo Smith of Australia won the championship with a score of 213, eight strokes ahead of Edoc, while India's Nihaal Cheema finished second at 214.

Edoc's third-place finish remains a commendable achievement for the Philippines' delegation and highlights his potential as one of the country's promising young golfers.