Cebu’s Gabasa rules girls elims in MVPSF Visayas Match Play Championships

Gabasa

CEBU CITY, Philippines – Cebuana golfing star Junia Gabasa ruled the girls’ eliminations with a second straight 74 in the 4th MVPSF Visayas Regional Match Play Championships held at Cebu Country Club on Tuesday, April 9, 2019.

Gabasa also struggled at the tough backside of the tight, tree-lined layout, finishing with a 38 for that 74 and a 36-total of 148, three shots clear of Pamela Mariano, who finished strong with a three-under 69 to snare the No. 2 spot with a 151.

Grace Quintanilla placed third with a 154 after a 78, followed by Kristine Fleetwood (88-178), Ashley Llena (86-183), Cleer Flores (95-190), Marie Suelo (102-207) and Wilma Fantonial (109-209).

Over on the boy’s side, Jacob Rolida survived a backside meltdown to gain the low medal honors with a 147 after a 75.

Rolida broke away from a three-way tie with a two-under 34 start but groped with a closing five-over 41 card marred by a double-bogey on the last hole which he bucked to clinch the top seeding among the 16 qualifiers for Wednesday’s start of the match play phase.

Rolando Pila birdied the last hole to salvage a 74 for a 148 then nipped Aidric Chan, who bogeyed the 18th for a 74-148, in the countback for the No. 2 spot in the knockout quarterfinals of the weeklong event serving as part of the PLDT Group National Amateur Tour and conducted by the National Golf Association of the Philippines.

Chan, winner of last week’s Philippine Junior Open, settled for No. 3 followed by Joaquin Gomez, who matched Rolida’s opening 72 but hobbled with a 78 for a 150./dcb