Abdon, Saldana forge PH Am title showdown

TRECE MARTIREZ, Cavite—Top seed Jik-Jik Abdon won the final three holes of the front nine in his duel against Gio Gandiongco yesterday to post a 2&1 victory and reach the Philippine Amateur Golf Championship (Closed) final for the second straight year.

Routine pars in that three-hole stretch gave the long-hitting 20-year-old a 3-up lead at Sherwood Hills here, which he used as buffer to cushion a late charge by Gandiongco and set up a title match with lefty Andres Saldana.

Saldana, the Alabang Country Club standout, had an easier time in dispatching of Jonar Austria, 3&2, to also seal his most impressive performance in the tournament.

Abdon placed second to Rupert Zaragosa last year at Wack Wack East, and the business management major is hoping that his streak of good play continues to give him a breakthrough title.

“But anything can still happen because of the match play format,” Abdon told the Inquirer. “And Andres (Saldana) is a very good player.”

Dottie Ardina, the women’s top seed, also made the title match with a 3&2 win over reigning Philippine Ladies’ champion Lovelyn Guioguio.

The stocky Ardina next plays the comebacking Jayvie Agojo, a 3&1 winner over Sunshine Baraquiel, in a most interesting title match in the event serving as the third leg of the Globe-NGAP series backed by Pancake House, Golf Depot, Titleist, Empire Golf, Suntrust Properties, Microtel and Airphil Express.

Gandiongco was able to prune the gap to two holes after a bogey in the 13th, but Abdon re-established a comfortable buffer two holes later when Gandiongco made a mess out of the par-5 15th and wound up with a 7.

Gandiongco’s last gasp came on the par-3 16th, which he bogeyed and Abdon double-bogeyed. But pars for both in the next hole closed out the match.

Top ranked Lino Magpantay likewise advanced to the finals of the seniors division with a 2&1 victory over Caloy Coscolluela while Kinitchi Kitamura took the other championship seat with a 5&4 romp over Jose Vilchez.

Fifth ranked Jingy Tuazon stunned top seed Dennis Gonzales with a surprise 4&3 romp to barge into the finals of the mid-amateur division against Sherwood club manager Raymond Bunquin, who nipped Rodel Mangulabnan, 1-up.