Top-seeded Cebuana golfer Junia Louise Gabasa acknowledges the crowd after sinking a ten-foot par putt in the finals of the MVPSF Visayas Regional Match Play Championships at the Cebu Country Club. CDN Digital photo | Tonee Despojo
Cebu City, Philippines — Cebuana golfing standout Junia Gabasa outlasted Pamela Mariano to carve out a 5&4 triumph in the finals of the fourth MVPSF Visayas Regional Match Play Championships at the Cebu Country Club on Friday, April 12, 2019.
The top-seeded Gabasa fought it out on even terms with the No. 2 Mariano after 18 holes but emerged victorious in holes 5, 6 and 8 before winning 13 and 14 to seal the ladies crown in the event sponsored by the MVP Sports Foundation, PLDT Group, Cignal and Metro Pacific and hosted by CCC.
Read more: Cebuana Gabasa takes on Mariano for MVPSF ladies title
In the men’s side, CCC caddie Rolando Pila battled back from three holes down in morning play then uncorked a strong finishing kick to turn back fellow CCC bet Harvey Sytiongsa, 2-up,
Pila encountered some trouble in the early going of their marathon 36-hole duel and still trailed his fellow club bet by three with only 10 holes left.
But he birdied Nos. 9 and 11 to pull within, yielded another hole on the 12th but took three straight holes from No. 14 to go 1-up before birdying the last hole to complete a come-from-behind 2-up victory in men’s play.
Read more: Confident Gabasa gears up for semis battle in MVPSF Visayas Regional C’ships
Sytiongsa, who stunned top seed Jacob Rolida in the quarterfinals and nipped Otake on the 19th hole to earn a crack at the crown, went 3-up after just six holes then fended off Pila’s fightback to keep that lead intact at the turn.
But he wavered in the last 10 holes, yielding Nos. 9 and 11, regained a hole on the next but lost three straight and failed to match Pila’s final hole birdie.
Read more: Cebu’s Gabasa rules girls elims in MVPSF Visayas Match Play Championships
Earlier, Masaichi Otake birdied the 17th to force an all-square match with Aidric Chan then parred the last to steal a 1-up victory over last week’s Philippine Junior champion in their duel for third place.
Grace Quintanilla, on the other hand, trounced Ashley Llena and came away with a 4&3 romp in their side of the battle for third while Joseph Alvarez topped the Mid-Amateur division over Hugo Saurat. /bmjo