STA. ROSA, Laguna – Hyun Ho Rho staged a dramatic comeback to claim the first semifinal berth in the ICTSI The Country Club Match Play Invitational, edging Rico Depilo on the 19th hole in a pulsating quarterfinal duel at the TCC course on Thursday.
Facing a daunting three-hole deficit with just four holes to play, the 18-year-old Rho displayed nerves of steel. He birdied the par-4 No. 14 and capitalized on Depilo’s errors to win Nos. 16 and 17, leveling the match heading into the final hole.
Rho wins it on extra hole
Depilo managed to force an extra hole but faltered when his approach on the tricky par-4 No. 1 found the water, handing Rho the hard-fought victory.
“I was 3-down going to No. 14, but I birdied it and won Nos. 16 and 17 to make it all square,” said Rho, who has come close to claiming titles before but has yet to break through on the Philippine Golf Tour.
The other semis matchup features veteran Jay Bayron against Albin Engino, who both pulled off upsets in the quarterfinals of the season-ending championship sponsored by ICTSI.
Meanwhile, stamina will play a crucial role as the semis matches are scheduled for Thursday afternoon, demanding both physical endurance and mental resilience from the players.
Rho, a former PGT Q-School topnotcher and sophomore pro, is determined to end his title drought and looks poised for a deep run after finishing runner-up to Angelo Que in the Philippine Masters earlier this year.
Rho now faces 29th-seeded Arnold Villacencio in the semis. Villacencio continued his giant-killing run by ousting No. 21 Dino Villanueva, 3&1.
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