GRACE Pauline Quintanilla blew a six-shot overnight lead in regulation and needed five extra holes to turn back Hong Kong-China's Xizihan Wang to win the women's individual title in the prestigious 78th playing of the Singapore Amateur Open championship at the Bukit course on Friday.
The 19-year-old Filipino birdied her sixth trip to the par-5 18th coming from a disadvantageous position playing her third shot, draining a 15-foot putt to finally seal the win which came the hard way after she closed out regulation with a two-over-par 73 that allowed the Chinese to tie at 281.
Quintanilla seizes opening
Wang shot a 67 - tying Quintanilla's first-round effort for the low round of the week - and clearly had momentum going into sudden death, only for the Filipino to patiently bid her time and strike when she found the opening.
"She overshot her approach (on the fifth playoff hole)," Quintanilla said of Wang. "I knew then that I had to somewhat get it (my approach shot) close, even though I was coming off the rough."
Quintanilla will return to action on Philippine soil in one of two upcoming National Golf Association of the Philippines (NGAP) events later this month, either in the PH Stroke Play Championship at Pradera Verde or the Match Play event at age-old Luisita.
"One of those events," she said when asked of her next tournament. "And then it will be back to the US for me for school."
Meanwhile, Rolando Bregente and Jet Hernandez settled for a fourth-place tie in the men's division after closing 69s gave them 272 totals, five shots off champion Jonty Lunzon of Australia, who fired a 67 to beat countryman Harrison Gomez by a shot.
Gomez, who started the day in seventh spot, smoked the back nine with six of his seven birdies. He went on to fire a flawless 64 for 268.
Bregente, who held the solo lead after the opening round by shooting a 64 on Tuesday, and Hernandez, finished a shot out of the podium as Hong Kong-China's Markus Zachary Lam shot a 70 to finish third just a stroke ahead of the duo from the Philippines.
Hernandez, the University of Denver mainstay in the United States, played his final three rounds at nine-under-par even after a double bogey-bogey stretch from the 11th hole which cost him dearly in the standings.
Bregente also had his misadventures, dropping shots on 15 and 17 after going bogey-free in his first 14 holes of the final round.
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