Nagai fights back, rules Junior Am

TRECE MARTIREZ, Cavite—Japanese Gen Nagai matched par 72 in tough conditions Friday to complete a come-from-behind win in the Philippine Junior Amateur Championship at Sherwood Hills here.

Nagai bucked the blustery winds and rock-hard greens to gun down three birdies, two on the front nine, to overhaul a four-shot over-night deficit to Raymart Tolentino and turn the rest of the day into a battle for second place.

Gabriel Manotoc birdied the 18th from six feet to cap a 78 that tied him with Tolentino at 309 before clinching second via a tiebreaker.

Tolentino, the three-day leader in the event presented by the MVP Sports Foundation as part of the PLDT Group Amateur Tour, floundered with an 84, even as Diego San Pedro fired an 81 for fourth, another two shots off.

Nagai, who has called Cebu home for the past 13 years, took the lead for good after routine pars on the seventh and eighth holes, as Tolentino dropped six shots in that stretch, including a triple bogey 8 on No. 8.

Nagai’s victory marks the second straight year that a foreigner has won the event after Korean Park Min-ung prevailed last year.

Bianca Pagdanganan shared the winner’s stage with Nagai after closing out with a 75 to complete her own rally in the girls’ division.

With nines of 38-37, Pagdanganan rallied from two strokes down overnight to nip third-round leader Harmie Constantino by three.

Daniela Uy, the leader after the first two rounds, slipped to a 79 to settle for third spot, five shots off Pagdanganan.