Zaragosa pulls thru by 3

RUPERT Zaragosa closed out with a second straight three-under-par 69 yesterday and completed a come-from-behind win in the Philippine Junior Amateur stroke play championship at Sherwood Hills in Cavite.

Zaragosa ended his junior career in style, wiping out a two-stroke overnight deficit with  a 283 tally over the ravine-laden layout and beating another hard-finishing Filipino, Lanz Uy, by three.

Uy cracked par for the second straight day and submitted a closing 67 to overtake a fading Park Min-ung of Korea and post the best finish of his career.

Three-day leader Park, who won this title at the expense of Zaragosa in 2013, stumbled with a double bogey on the ninth after an errant drive and went on to finish with a 75.

The win was the seventh national title for the pint-sized Zaragosa, but this one was very special since it completed his collection of all of the country’s national championships.

Former junior world champion Kristoffer Arevalo fired a 71 and was seven shots off, with Harmie Constantino completing a double for local bets by also coming from behind to win the girl’s championship.

Constantino fired a 72 for 295, with Sam Bruce settling for second spot after a 79 marred by a quadruple bogey-9 on the fourth hole that left her with a 299 aggregate. Musong R. Castillo