Nagai, Superal take top seeds Junior AM

MANILA, Philippines — Japan’s Gen Nagai and Princess Superal topped the qualifying phase of the Philippine Junior Amateur Open match play championship presented by MVP Sports Foundation Tuesday to draw the lightest possible assignments in today’s first round.

The 17-year-old Nagai, a resident of Cebu for the past 14 years, fired five birdies and settled for a one-under-par 71 under stifling heat at the posh Alabang layout to seal a first round clash with Jaime Patnongon in the event backed by Pancake House, Golf Depot and Pacsports as part of the PLDT Group Amateur Tour.

Superal, on the other hand, returned a 74 and will have Samantha Martirez as a first round foe. Martirez took the 16th slot after struggling to an 84.

Park Min-ung was second with a 73, with Basti Lorenzo and Raymart Tolentino also firing 73s but were 3-4, respectively after the tie was broken.

Park, the losing finalist to Rupert Zaragosa in the Men’s Open match play at The Orchard two weeks ago, will clash with No. 31 Karl dela Torre, while Lorenzo and Tolentino will play Enrique Diaz and Lester Lagman, respectively.

Zaragosa practically took a stroll and settled for a 76, qualifying 11th overall and drawing unknown Paqo Barro in the first round.

Barro fired an 84. “I don’t think you can expect an easy match,” Nagai, who won the boys’ stroke play title at Sherwood Hills last month, said. “Anything can happen in match play.”