Rolando Bregente matched par with a 72 despite rainy conditions on Wednesday to secure the top seed in the men’s division of the NGAP Match Play Championship. Meanwhile, young standout Lisa Sarines’ bid for a double championship will begin with a first-round showdown against her twin sister, Mona, as the knockout stage gets underway at the soggy Luisita Golf and Country Club in Tarlac.
Jet Hernandez, who is also chasing a double title, claimed the No. 3 seed after carding a 74 for a two-round total of 142. Filipino-Japanese golfer Shinichi Suzuki earned the No. 2 seed with a second-round 70, finishing two strokes behind the 24-year-old Bregente, who completed qualifying with a 72 for a 139 total.
“I think half the challenge this week was making it to the match play stage,” said Hernandez, who captured the Stroke Play Championship by 22 strokes over Bregente and Chris Remata last week. He opens his campaign against teenage standout Alexis Nailga, a multiple-leg winner on the Junior PGT, who qualified as the No. 14 seed after rounds of 78 and 75.
“I actually don’t care what ranking I got.”
Bregente, a member of the national pool alongside Hernandez, faces No. 16 seed Ronel Taga-an, who shot an 80 to clinch the final spot in the Round of 16. Meanwhile, the 6-foot-3 Suzuki takes on Geoffrey Tan in another opening-round matchup.
The quarterfinals are also scheduled for Wednesday afternoon, with one of the most anticipated pairings featuring 14-year-old Ralph Batican against Jacob Casuga. Batican, a protégé of golfing legend Frankie Miñoza, qualified as the No. 6 seed after shooting a 74.
Mhark Fernando III, son of former champion Mhark Fernando Sr., booked a Round of 16 clash against fellow teenager Bobe Salahog, who secured the No. 8 seed after rounds of 73 and 74.
(C) NGAP
In the women’s division, Lisa Sarines, who had openly said she preferred winning the Match Play Championship over the Stroke Play title she dominated last week, faces twin sister Mona in one of the tournament’s most intriguing opening-round matches.
“I’m sure she’s rooting for both of us to win, but that just can’t happen,” Lisa said, referring to their mother, Dang, who has attended all of their tournaments. “It will be a very tough match (with Mona), because she is also playing well.”
Reigning Singapore Amateur Open champion Grace Quintanilla fired a 70 for a 142 total to comfortably secure the No. 1 seed. She will face No. 8 seed Brittany Tamayo in the Round of 16.
PH team mainstay Ally Gaccion carded a 73 to finish as the No. 2 seed and will take on 15-year-old Precious Zaragosa, who bounced back from her struggles in last week’s Stroke Play Championship by posting rounds of 76 and 73 to claim the No. 7 seed.
