Fiery Gialon, Guioguio rule Samsung Amateur Open
LIPA CITY, Batangas, Philippines—Zannie Boy Gialon, a talent ripe for the pro ranks, closed out with a one-under-par 71 Saturday to rule the Samsung Amateur Open’s centerpiece championship division by a whopping eight shots at The Summit in Lipa City.
The 22-year-old Gialon actually put a lock on the championship in the first round on Friday with a record-setting 66 and just went through the motions in the final round for a 137 tally in one of the biggest victories of his young career.
Equally impressive was Lovelyn Guioguio’s rally from a three-stroke deficit overnight to capture the ladies’ crown over Dottie Ardina on the second playoff hole.
The pocket-sized Guioguio carded a final-round 70 to catch Ardina at the end of regulation before holing a 10-foot putt for birdie on the second extra hole to cap her victory.
Ardina, who earlier missed a 14-foot putt birdie putt of her own, shot a 73 in the final round after opening with a 68 Friday.
Gialon’s margin of victory over Del Monte caddy Banny Abano and Korean expatriate Kim Chang-yeon, who both closed with a 72, was the biggest in the event’s young history.
Reigning Boys and Men’s Amateur champ Rupert Zaragosa, six down at the start of the final round, just couldn’t get going, carding a 75 to finish 10 shots off the pace at 147, in a tie with unknown RJ Tallud, who had a 73.
Alex Nallos, another ICTSI-TCC bet, carded a 74 and shared fourth place with Yoon Sung-hwan, who had a 72, for 146, while Koreans Hwang Kang-youl and Moon Seung-ryul fired identical 75s for 148 and 149, respectively.
Sarah Ababa actually tied Guioguio at one-under with a stirring four-birdie string from No. 10 but dropped back as Guioguio hit back-to-back birdies from No. 15.
Hobbled by a 39 at the front, Ababa wound up with a 71 and a 143 total for third while Chihiro Ikeda, two behind Ardina at the start of the round, tumbled out of contention on the front nine (40) for a 75 and fourth spot at 145.
The event was sponsored by Airphil Express, Custom Clubmakers, Footjoy and Titliest by Empire Golf, Loro, Endress+Hauser, Sweet Photolicious, Torch Resto Bar, Bluemansion Enterprise, GlucosCare, Omnisource International, Business Mirror and Inquirer Golf.
