Gialon coasts to victory; Guioguio stuns Ardina in playoff

MANILA, Philippines - Zanie Boy Gialon closed out with a 71 and outclassed the men’s field with an emphatic eight-shot romp over Banny Abaño and Korean Kim Chang Yeon while Lovelynn Guioguio took the ladies crown with a thrilling playoff win over fancied Dottie Ardina in the Samsung Amateur Open at Summit Point in Lipa, Batangas yesterday.

Gialon, whose record setting six-under 66 Friday put him way ahead of the field, slowed down with a two-birdie, one-bogey stint under tough playing conditions but still came out with the best score in the premier Championship Division to run away with the crown in the 36-hole tournament.

The top Country Club shotmaker pooled a 137, eight shots in front of Abaño and Kim, who both matched par 72, to post the largest winning margin in the annual event presented by Samsung Phils. as part of its commitment to help develop the sport and provide the country’s top players and rising stars a tournament to hone their talent and skills.

Abano, a mainstay of Del Monte, and Kim, playing out of Riviera, wound up with 145s while Alex Nallos carded a 74 and shared fourth place with Yoon Sung Hwan, who had a 72, at 146.

Rupert Zaragoza limped with a 75 and tied RJ Tallud, who had a 73, at 147 while Koreans Hwang Kang Youl and Moon Seung Ryul took the next two places after a pair of 75s with 148 and 149, respectively.

Earlier, Guioguio upstaged her more fancied teammates in the ICTSI golf stable, rallying with a fiery 33 for a 70 then nipping Ardina in the second playoff hole to snatch the ladies crown in the event sponsored by Airphil Express, Mizuno, Custom Clubmakers, Footjoy and Titliest by Empire Golf, Loro, Endress+Hauser, Sweet Photolicious, Torch Resto Bar, Bluemansion Enterprise, GlucosCare, Omnisource International, Business Mirror and Inquirer Golf.

Guioguio buried a 10-footer for birdie from a superb 50-degree wedge shot at the 100-yard, par-3 No. 2 while Ardina earlier muffed her own bid from 14 feet, enabling the former to clinch the title.

It was a big win for Guioguio, who fought back from three strokes down with a flawless windup to tie Ardina, who wavered with a 73, at 141.

Ardina, who looked headed for a romp after an opening 68 Friday, struggled to save pars in the early going then reeled from a double-bogey at the par-5 ninth for a 38.

The reigning Malaysian Juniors and Thailand Amateur Open champion birdied No. 10 but missed a couple of six-footers on her way home and dropped into a tie with that 73.

Guioguio, winner of the DHL Amateur Championship and the Sarawak Amateur diadem early in the year, and Ardina both parred the first playoff hole.

Sarah Ababa actually tied Guioguio at one-under total with a four-birdie string from No. 10 but dropped back with a slew of pars as Guioguio hit back-to-back birdies from No. 15.

Ababa, who hobbled with a 39 at the front, wound up with a 71 and a 143 and finished third while Chihiro Ikeda, two behind Ardina at the start of the round, tumbled down with a string of bogeys at the frontside (40) and wound up with a 75 for fourth at 145.

Sunshine Baraquiel shot a 73 for solo sixth at 148 while the 11-year-old Miya Legaspi failed to bounce back with a 77 and ended up with a 152 in a tie with Chanelle Avaricio, who also had a 77.