Rolida, Chan cruise to match play QF in Cebu

Jacob Rolida and Aidric Chan came away with a pair of routs to kick off their respective title drives at the start of the knockout phase of the fourth MVPSF Visayas Regional Match Play Championships at Cebu CC on Wednesday.

The top-seeded Rolida took the first three holes against No. 16 Fernando Mondares, won two more holes before the turn and wrapped it all up with a par-birdie-par binge from No. 10 for an 8&6 romp.

Chan, who placed second after the 36-hole stroke play classifications on Tuesday, also used a strong front nine to oust Weiyu Gao, 5&3, and advance to the semifinals.

Eighth-ranked Harvey Sytiongsa likewise started out strong but had to fend off the rallying ninth seed Carl Corpus in the stretch, clinching a 2-up victory on a birdie-par windup to seal a Final Four clash with Rolida.

Corpus battled back from four-down with a big backside rally, winning the first three holes at the back and forcing an all-square game with a birdie on No. 14.

But he stumbled at the finish while Sytiongsa recovered his bearing and birdied the 17th before clinching the win as Corpus bogeyed the last while trying to extend the match.

Masaichi Otake, meanwhile, pulled off a big reversal as the No. 12 seed upended fifth ranked Joseph Alvarez, 2-up, to arrange a semis showdown with No. 4 Joaquin Gomez, who nipped No. 13 Alfredo Cabajar, 1-up.

Otake outsteadied Alvarez in a pressure-packed back nine duel, pouncing on Alvarez’s pick-up on No. 14 and completing a 2-up win with a closing par.

Gomez fought back from 2-down after 11 and went 1-up with three holes left but triple bogeyed No. 16, needing to the birdie the last to barge into the semis.

Chan will take on No. 7 Luigi Wong, who thumped Santino Laurez, 5&4, while third-ranked Rolando Pila routed Mark Dy, 5&4, for a showdown with No. 6 Martin Mendoza, who outlasted Mikhael Ybañez, 2&1.

Meanwhile, Junia Gabasa and Pamela Mariano, who took the top two spots in the ladies side, step up their respective bids after drawing opening round byes with Gabasa facing off with Wilma Fantonial and Mariano clashing with Marie Suelo.