ROLANDO Bregente survived a cold putting day to ease past Emilio Hernandez, with a 1-up victory propelling the men's top seed into the NGAP's National Match Play Finals against big-hitting Shinichi Suzuki on Saturday at rain-softened Luisita in Tarlac.
Bregente hung tough in the face of a torrid comeback by Hernandez, with a routine par 4 on No. 18 enough to seal the deal and stop cold a Hernandez rally from three-down entering their final four holes.
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On the other hand, Precious Zaragosa eliminated Lisa Sarines, 2-up, to make the ladies' final opposite No. 1 Grace Quintanilla.
"I really struggled to make putts, even from as close to driver length attempts," the 24-year-old Bregente said in Filipino as he guns for a national title that is missing in his big collection of trophies against the 18-year-old Suzuki, the seasoned internationalist who bundled out Ralph Batican, 2&1.
"It would really be an interesting match," Bregente said of his clash with Suzuki, a long-time member of the Philippine pool who is coming off a stint in the US Men's Amateur. "He outhits me by a considerable distance. It's going to be a tough match."
Like Bregente, Zaragosa is shooting for a first match play crown - and a first national title in the ladies division that could come after she won the Girls' Am May of last year.
"I am super excited to play in the finals," the 15-year-old Zaragosa said after winning three consecutive holes from No. 15 that put her out front and stopped cold Sarines' bid for a double championship after running away with the Strokeplay Championship last week at Pradera Verde.
Precious, who drained a birdie from pin-length on the picturesque 17th to go 1-up, is looking to add to a cabinet of national titles her older brother, now-pro Rupert, has won in a storied amateur career that had him winning since he was just 14.
"That's a motivation, to follow in his footsteps," Precious said as she faces Quintanilla in a match setting for the first time, and says she's very ready. "There are no nerves, just excitement for (Saturday)."
Quintanilla is in line to bag a second national title in less than a month after winning the Singapore Am Open championship by winning out in a five-hole playoff over Xiziyan Wang of Hong Kong last July 18.
The standout from Texas State University, who skipped the Stroke Play event, was just too much for Nicole Gan, scoring a 4&2 win that underscored her readiness to go all the way.
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