Top seeds advance; Sarines, Hernandez go different ways
NICOLE Gan braves the heavy morning downpour to hammer a 2&1 win over Tashanah Balangauan and advance to the Match Play Championship at the Luisita Golf and Country Club in Tarlac on Thursday.
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF NGAP
Rolando Bregente carved out two impressive wins and Grace Quintanilla needed to go through the proverbial wringer before advancing as the top-ranked men’s and ladies’ seeds advanced to the semifinals of the National Golf Association of the Philippines’ Match Play Championship at the rain-softened Luisita Golf and Country Club in Tarlac on Thursday.
Lisa Sarines and Jet Hernandez, who last week won the Strokeplay Championship titles, had contrasting wet fortunes at the tree-lined layout, with the ladies’ champ bundling out twin sister Mona and the men’s titlist seeing his bid end after 16 holes in the quarterfinals.
The 24-year-old Bregente played just a combined 28 holes in eliminating Roel Taga-an in the morning, 3&2, before coming back at midday to bundle out young Bobe Salahog, 7&6 and advance opposite Emilio Hernandez, whose brother, the double win-seeking Jet, got the boot from teen wonder Ralph Batican, 4&2.
The match between the twin sisters ended at the 16th hole with a routine par from Lisa, who took control right out of the gates by going two-up after four holes. It ended with a 3&2 victory as Sarines advanced to face Precious Zaragosa.
“It is what it is,” Sarines said when asked how it felt like eliminating her twin.
“But this is just golf. My mom feels the most pain. We all could have wished that we played different opponents today and both won.”
Quintanilla, meanwhile, was dragged to a 19th hole by teen Brittany Tamayo, and the 19-year-old reigning Singapore Amateur Open champion will go on to face Nicole Gan, who carved out a 2&1 win over Tashanah Balangauan.
Zaragosa scored a big reversal in taking out No. 2-ranked Ally Gaccion, 4&3, to advance to the clash with Sarines as the two good friends break a 1-1 tie in match play.
“I think a lot of elements of my game has worked this week,” the 24-year-old Bregente said in Filipino, even as Shinichi Suzuki will take a crack at Batican after the Filipino-Japanese advanced with a6&5 win over Jed Dy in the quarterfinals.
“The key for me also has been staying patient,” Bregente went on as he enters the Final Four the freshest among all men semifinalists.
Emilio Hernandez scored a 3&1 win over Edison Tabalin in the morning before carving out a 4&3 victory over Jacob Rolida.
