Zaragosa, Roque clash for title in Phl Junior Am

MANILA, Philippines - Rupert Zaragosa came back from two holes down against Park Min-ung yesterday before scoring a 2 and 1 victory to make the title match of the Philippine Junior Amateur Open match play championship at posh Alabang.

Zaragosa, seeking to win the men’s and boys’ titles the same year for the second time, was staring at a 2-down deficit after nine holes but drew level after birdies on the 10th and 13th before forging ahead with another on the 15th and sealing a title clash with unheralded giant-killer Ramir Roque.

Roque, a 17-year-old playing out of Del Monte in Bukidnon, bundled out the top-seeded Gen Nagai of Japan in the quarterfinals, 4 and 2, before scoring a lopsided 7 and 6 conquest of young Luigi Paolo Wong in the Final Four of the event presented by the MVP Sports Foundation.

Daniella Uy also remained on course for a sweet double after bundling out tournament top seed Princess Superal, 6 and 5, to make the girls’ finals of the event backed by Pancake House, Golf Depot and Pacsports as part of the PLDT Group Amateur Tour.

Uy, who won the women’s match play championship two weeks ago at Orchard, clashes with Mikhaella Fortuna for the title today. Fortuna waylaid Ashia Marie Nocum, 4 and 3.

Uy got to Superal after conquering Bianca Pagdanganan in the quarterfinals, 5 and 4, while Fortuna posted the same score against Felicia Medalla. Nocum upset Pauleen Del Rosario, 1-up, in the quarterfinals.

It was Zaragosa’s second straight victory over the Korean expat, counting a similarly narrow escape act in the finals of the men’s match play at Orchard three weeks ago.

Park, the 2012 stroke play junior champion, got to his match against Zaragosa by outlasting Ryan Monsalve in a 21-hole marathon in the morning.

All hopes of Park knotting the match again went down the drain after scoring a bogey when  his tee shot on the par-5 16th hit a tree. Zaragosa went on to birdie the hole before matching the Korean’s par on the 17th to sew up the match.