Grace Quintanilla overcame a dramatic collapse of a six-shot overnight lead and outlasted Hong Kong-China’s Xizihan Wang in a five-hole playoff to capture the women’s individual title in the prestigious 78th Singapore Amateur Open Championship at the Bukit Course on Friday.
The 19-year-old Filipino squandered her advantage after closing with a two-over-par 73, allowing Wang to force a playoff at 281 after firing a brilliant 67, which matched Quintanilla’s opening-round score for the lowest round of the tournament.
But Quintanilla held her nerve in sudden death. On their sixth trip to the par-5 18th—including regulation—she birdied the hole from a difficult position in the rough, sinking a 15-foot putt to finally secure the hard-fought victory.
Wang appeared to have the momentum entering the playoff, but Quintanilla remained patient and capitalized when her opponent faltered.
(C) Singapore Amateur Open
“She overshot her approach on the fifth playoff hole,” Quintanilla said of Wang. “I knew then that I had to get my approach shot close, even though I was coming from the rough.”
Quintanilla is set to return to action in the Philippines later this month, with plans to compete in either the National Golf Association of the Philippines’ Philippine Stroke Play Championship at Pradera Verde or the Match Play Championship at the historic Luisita Golf and Country Club.
“One of those events,” she said when asked about her next tournament. “And then it will be back to the US for school.”
Meanwhile, Rolando Bregente and Jet Hernandez finished tied for fourth in the men’s division after both carding final-round 69s for 272 totals, five shots behind Australian champion Jonty Lunzon.
Lunzon fired a closing 67 to edge fellow Australian Harrison Gomez by one stroke. Gomez, who began the final round in seventh place, surged into contention with a flawless 64 highlighted by six birdies on the back nine, finishing at 268.
Bregente, who led outright after an opening-round 64 on Tuesday, and Hernandez finished one shot shy of the podium after Hong Kong-China’s Markus Zachary Lam closed with a 70 to claim third at 271.
Hernandez, a University of Denver standout, played his final three rounds in nine-under-par but saw his title hopes fade after a costly double bogey-bogey stretch starting at the 11th hole in the final round.
Bregente also stumbled late, dropping shots on the 15th and 17th holes after playing his first 14 holes bogey-free.
