INQUIRER Sports

MATCHES FRIDAY:
Men?s Division semifinals (Norman)
?JP Reyes (1) vs. Larry Patnongon (12), Chino Raymundo (2) vs. Iggy Clavecilla (3)
Ladies Division semifinals (Faldo) ?Beachie Abiera (8) vs. Lucy Ladicho (5), Finina Gorres vs. Hae Cho-sun

Seniors Division semifinals (Aoki)
?Tony Danilo Gutierrez (3) vs. Alex Prieto (10), Tony Olives (1) vs. Richie Garcia (12)

GEN. TRIAS, CAVITE?Beachie Abiera of Tagaytay Midlands banked on her long match play experience to eliminate ladies top seed Gaille Marquet, 2 and 1, Thursday even as JP Reyes and Tony Olives disposed of their foes with relative ease in the quarterfinals of the National Tournament of Club Champions presented by Inquirer Golf and Mitsubishi Lancer EX.

Returning to the Aoki course of the Eagle Ridge Golf and Country Club for the second time in three days, Abiera engaged the Frenchwoman from Sta. Elena in a fiery duel she clinched with a decisive two-putt birdie on the 16th hole.

The eighth-seeded Abiera?s upset win set her up for a Final Four duel with Canlubang?s Lucy Landicho who routed Carmela Lee of Ayala Greenfield, 5 and 3.

Abiera, who had seen action in all but one of the NTCC battles, lost to the late Vinice Godio in last year?s finals.

Finina Gorres of Orchard and Hae Sun-cho of Manila Southwoods dispute the other finals berth. Gorres celebrated her birthday by beating Northwoods? Joy Sevilla, 2 and 1, while Hae bundled out Villamor?s Marissa Romano, 3 and 2.

Reyes, the club champion of both Manila Golf and Wack Wack, breezed past No. 8 Teody Pascual, 4 and 3. He next faces No. 12 Larry Patnongon, a 5-and-4 winner over No.4 Koo Dong-hyun of Rancho Palos Verdes, in a duel of double champs as Patnongon holds titles at both Tagaytay Midlands and Highlands.

Iggy Clavecilla (No. 3) and Chino Raymundo (No. 2) square off in the other semifinal of the tournament backed by Sta. Lucia Realty, Cebu Pacific, Fairways and Bluewaters Golf and Country Club, official vitamin Fern-C and Print Town.

The other backers are PSC, Federation of Golf Clubs Phils., Inc., Perskindol, Jack Nicklaus, RizGolf Trophies, Pacific Links, Orchard GCC, Mizuno, PacSports, Home Depot, WGAP and Going Straight.

Olives? 5-and-4 rout of Eagle Ridge?s Cesar Castro sent him into a semifinal clash with Sta. Elena?s defending champion Richie Garcia, who beat Yuichiro Nakanishi of Sherwood Hills, 2 and 1.

Alex Prieto of Manila Golf pulled off his own upset by turning back No. 2 King Sumulong of Eastridge, 4 and 3. He battles No. 3 Danny Gutierrez of Southwoods who scrambled past Mel Malabanan of Orchard, 2 and 1.