Go, Velez square off for Visayas match play title

LJ Go and Joaquin Velez churned out victories in extra holes over tough rivals on Thursday to seal a title clash in the MVPSF Visayas Regional Match Play championship at tree-lined Cebu Country Club.

The top-seeded Go, the former national champion, rallied from a two-down deficit after six holes before securing the win in the first playoff hole over Carl Corpus with a routine par.

Joaquin Velez, who advanced to the KO stages as the 11th seed, also hacked out a 1-up victory on the 19th hole over Martin Mendoza and will be the underdog in the title match of the tournament that forms part of the PLDT Group Amateur golf tour.

Velez battled back from 3-down after nine holes by taking the first three holes at the back but blew a 2-up lead after 15 with a double-bogey and bogey on Nos. 16 and 17 which enabled Mendoza to extend the match.

Like Go, Velez made a par on No. 1 against Martin’s bogey to remain in the hunt for the crown to be disputed over 36 holes on Friday.

In the quarterfinals, Go trounced Mark Dy, 5&4, and Corpus whipped Rolando Pila, 6&5, while Velez ripped Juan Karloz Alba, 4&3, and Mendoza stopped Jufil Sato, 4&3.

Meanwhile, No. 4 Junia Gabasa toppled top seed Nicole Fleetwood, 5&3, to advance to the women’s championship, but second-seeded Angela Mangana foiled a sibling finale by nipping No. 3 Irina Gabasa, 1-up, in their side of the semifinals.

Earlier, Fleetwood crushed Jhanna Abella, 6&5, to make the semis while Junia Gabasa turned back Riko Nagai, 3&2, and Mangana nipped Weifang Go, 2&1. Irina Gabasa blasted Grace Quintanilla, 6&4.