Zaragosa match play heavy fave

RUPERT Zaragosa, already very seasoned at 19 years old, will be the man to beat when the Philippine Amateur Open match play championship opens with the first of two classification rounds today at Orchard Golf and Country Club in Dasmariñas, Cavite.

A winner of numerous national titles, including a couple of match play crowns starting when he was just 14, Zaragosa has the experience and the game to win yet another and stamp his class as the best player in the ranks.

Two young foreigners—Yuto Katsuragawa of Japan and Tom Kim of South Korea—loom as the likely threats, with both coming off impressive performances.

Katsuragawa, a reedy 16-year-old who is the reigning club champion of Manila Southwoods, was the low amateur in the past two ICTSI-ADT events, while Kim will be coming off a victory in the junior match play championship.

Tournament format calls for the field to play two rounds to determine rankings, with the top 32 advancing in the men’s division.

Marc Ong, a Singaporean, has opted not to defend his title, while Harmie Constantino has begged off because of pressing academic commitments.

Zaragosa held both the boys’ and men’s match play titles at one time in his career.

Two weeks ago, the pint-sized wonder out of Canlubang was hardly touched in ruling the special 18-and-over division of the national stroke play championship at Sherwood in Trece Martirez, Cavite.