PRESS RELEASE
Rupert Zaragosa and Rolando Pila turned back their respective rivals while top seed Lois Kaye Go and No. 2 Harmie Constantino posted emphatic victories as they moved into the quarterfinal round of the first MVPSF Visayas Regional Match Play Championship at the Cebu Country Club here Wednesday.
Zaragosa routed Victor Advincula, 9&7, in the morning Round of 32 match then repulsed Jufil Sato, 3&2 in the afternoon play, while Pila scored a walkover win over Jefferson Rivera then thwarted Pio Barandog Jr., 2&1, as the men’s top two seeds led the Last 8 cast in the event sponsored by the MVP Sports Foundation, Smart, PLDT, Metro Pacific Invesments Corp. and the Philippine Sports Commission and held as part of the PLDT Group National Amateur Golf Tour.
Next up for Zaragosa is Jonas Magcalayo, who routed Airon Sorino, 5&3; while Jolo Magcalayo nipped Jovi Neri, 1-up, to arrange a quarters duel with Miguel Guerrero, who thumped Armand Guangko, 5&3.
No. 23 Gabriel Manotoc posted two big wins in another scorching day, edging No. 10 Tyler Po, 2&1, and holding off Jaylord Abadilla, 1-up, to set up a clash with Pila while third seed Mark Dy dominated Sir Cross Abarintos, 4&3, and Scott Reyes, 5&3, for a faceoff with Marko Sarmiento, who upended sixth ranked Chepe Dulay, 2&1, in the week-long event organized and conducted by the National Golf Association of the Philippines.
The survivors in both sides also brace for a grueling battle today as they slug it in the quarterfinals in the morning with the winners clashing in the semis in the afternoon. The victors will dispute the crowns in a pair of 36-hole finales.
Earlier, Go, who topped the 36-hole stroke play elims with a 151, whipped Renafe Arnado, 8&6, at the start of the knockout phase to arrange a Last 8 faceoff with No. 8 Ryoko Nagai, who trounced Grace Sosas.
Constantino, the reigning national stroke play champion, posted a more impressive 9&7 triumph over Mercy Garcia to seal a quarters showdown with Riko Nagai, who also clobbered Mariestila Borres, 4&3, in the lower half of the draw.
No. 4 Junia Gabasa clipped Ma. Mirasol Panong, 7&6, and will next play Kristine Torralba, who also posted a 7&6 rompo over Jahnna Abella, while Jona Magcalayo advanced with a walkover win over Lalay Lava.
Third seed Angela Mangana and eight-year-old Grace Pauline Quintanilla provided the thrill in a day of lopsided results with the former battling back from four holes in the last four and winning on the 19th to advance against Magcalayo.
Quintanilla, who finished at No. 14 in the elims, appeared headed for a big upset when she drilled in a 30-foot putt on No. 14 to go 4-up with four holes to go. But she three-putted the next and Mangana, 14, took the next three holes to extend their match to the 19th hole, No. 10, which she also won with a par.
