Peter Tyler Po and Yuka Saso are the champions of the 2017 Philippine Match Play Amateur Open Match Play.
Po turned back Jojo Magcalayo, 4&3, while Saso defeated Harmie Constantino, 3&2, for the crown. The two winners needed to come back from early one-hole deficits to nail the championship.
The ninth-ranked Po came out smoking at resumption of the grueling 36-hole duel in scorching heat, taking Nos. 3, 6 and 11 with birdies to wrest control.
“Winning this major tournament for the first time brings me to another level of experience. It will surely make me tougher,” said the 17-year-old Po.
The victory capped the Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu student’s amazing campaign in the country’s premier match play event sponsored by the MVP Sports Foundation.
In women’s final, Saso’s win allowed her to complete a sweep of the country’s major amateur championships after scoring a record 13-shot romp in last week’s PH Amateur Strokeplay.