Korean expatriate Park Min-ung and local favorite Rupert Zaragosa advanced to the title match of the Philippine Amateur Junior Match Play championship after posting two victories each yesterday at Alabang Golf and Country Club.
The top-seeded Park, seeking a second national title after winning this event in 2013, bundled out young Dan Cruz, 3 and 1, before returning in the afternoon to upend Jelbert Gamolo of Del Monte, 3 and 2.
Zaragosa, the second-ranked player who will be shooting for his seventh national championship and third for the year, was simply too much for Jacky Mabaylan and Lester Lagman, whom the pint-sized wonder from Canlubang took out, 7 and 5, and 3 and 2, respectively.
“I’ve played against him so many times in the past, so there won’t be any pressure,” Zaragosa, playing in the last year of his junior eligibility, said of Park.
“It is very important that I get off to a good start [today].”
Girls’ No. 1 Yuka Saso, a Fil-Japanese who was once part of the rock-solid ICTSI squad, also made it to the title match after nipping the talented Annika Cedo, 2 and 1, and Korean Koh Eu-na, 3 and 2.
She will be facing the in-form Harmie Constantino, who posted similar 4-and-3 routs of Korean Hwang Min-jeong and Bianca Pagdanganan. Musong R. Castillo