Cebuano golfers make top 10 finishes in National Stroke Play Championship

Cebu’s LK Go competes at the National Stroke Play Championship. | contributed photo — file photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu golfers braved the tough course of the Riviera’s Langer in Silang, Cavite for four days and managed to put in top 10 finishes in the National Stroke Play Championship, which came to an end on Friday, January 10, 2020.

Japanese and Cebu-based Gen Nagai and 30th Southeast Asian Games (SEAG) gold medalist Lois Kaye “LK” Go failed to defend their titles but still finished in sixth and fourth places, respectively.

Another Cebuano, Junia Gabasa, also placed sixth in the women’s division.

Read more: Cebu’s ‘LK’ Go on 3rd spot, keeps Nat’l Stroke Play Championship’s repeat bid alive

Ironically, Nagai was finally able to put up a decent round on the final day where he carded a 73, his best after he opened his title defense last Tuesday with a dismal 77.

Nagai had a total of 302 points after also scoring 77 on the second day of competition and a 75 on the penultimate day.

In the distaff side, Go, for her part, had an impressive start to her title defense where she dominated on day 1 with a 5-stroke lead after carding a 68.

She then extended her lead to six strokes when she opened day 2 with a birdie on the first hole which proved to be her last hurrah as she had one bogey after another and eventually finished with an 82 and dropped to third place wherein she stayed until yesterday.

She ended with a 74 today to wrap up her campaign with 301 that put her in fourth place.

Gabasa, on the other hand, ended her stint in sixth place after finishing with a 78 for 306.

The titles were taken by Korean Min Wook Gwon and 12-year-old Rianne Malixi. 

This golf tournament was organized and conducted by the National Golf Association of the Philippines and is the kickoff leg of the PLDT Group National Amateur Tour. It used to be the Philippine Amateur Golf Championship./dbs