Zaragosa routs WW bet, leads semis cast

MANILA—stayed on track for a rare title double yesterday, routing Tootsie de Jesus, 8 and 7, to reach the Final Four of the 2011 Philippine Amateur championship at the Wack Wack East course in Mandaluyong.

The pocket-sized Canlubang ace, who won the junior version of the event two weeks ago in Alabang, was in command throughout against the Wack Wack bet and became the highest seeded player in the semifinals of the event presented by Pancake House and SOC Land.

Up next for Zaragosa today is Gus Mata, another teenager who plays out of Eastridge. Mata bundled out third seed King Stehmeier, 7 and 5, even as Miggy Yee and Jik-Jik Abdon completed the other semifinal pairing.

Yee, an ICTSI-Canlubang stalwart like Abdon, put an end to the giant-killing ways of 48-year-old Rodel Mangulabnan with a 3-and-2 win.

Abdon, who finished in the top 10 of the Philippine Amateur Open at Riviera, eliminated Cebuano hotshot Gio Gandiongco, 1-up, after a par on the 17th, which Gandiongco bogeyed.

Zaragosa didn’t lose a single hole to De Jesus, going 1-up after the first three before pulling away by winning seven of the next eight, including the last four with routine pars.

Top seed Andie Unson nipped Lovelyn Guioguio, 1-up, to also make the semifinals of women’s play of the event also backed by Great Depot, Callaway and Odyssey Golf.

Chihiro Ikeda will be Unson’s next foe after the former Philippine Ladies champion posted a 2-up victory over the veteran Jayvee Agojo.

Dottie Ardina and Sunshine Baraquiel collide in the other Final Four match after Ardina whipped Sheryl Villavicencio, 4 and 3, and Baraquiel upset Sarah Ababa, 3 and 2.

Semifinal action starts at 8:30 a.m. today with the 36-hole finals of the men’s division set tomorrow.