Tony Lascuña pulled through in a gripping battle of nerves with Angelo Que in a duel that extended to 19th hole in the ICTSI Villamor Match Play at the Villamor Golf Club.
Guido Van der Valk likewise survived a big scare to somewhat get even with Jerson Balasabas, 2&1, and Clyde Mondilla leaned on another big windup for a 2-up win over Jay Bayron Wednesday.
With Lloyd Go posting a second straight runaway win, a 7&5 rout of Zanieboy Gialon, Miguel Tabuena battled back from three holes down to frustrate Rupert Zaragosa after three extra holes.
The troika of Fidel Concepcion, Gerald Rosales and Keanu Jahns also upended their respective higher-ranked rivals.
Que won the first two holes at the back but the second ranked Lascuna fought back to send the match back to where it started with the latter pouncing on the former’s missed drive on their return to No. 1 and finishing with a routine par to clinch the duel that set up the four-time Order of Merit winner to a quarterfinal clash with former national teammate Gerald Rosales.
Rosales, the all-Filipino Philippine Open champion in 2000 and ranked No. 23 here, turned back 2019 PGT Palos Verdes leg winner and seventh seed Reymon Jaraula, 3&1, to match the reversals posted by No. 27 Fidel Concepcion over No. 22 Anthony Fernando, 2&1, and No. 24 Keanu Jahns over eighth-ranked Jhonnel Ababa, 1-up.
The Last 8 men standing actually brace for a test of staying power with two matches on tap Thursday with the quarterfinal set in the morning and the survivors disputing the final berths in the afternoon.
Van der Valk faces Jahns, Tabuena tests Go’s mettle, and Mondilla battles Concepcion and Lascuna tangles with Rosales in clashes that could go either way.
The top-seeded Van der Valk dominated Balasabas in their first clash since the latter edged the former in sudden death to win the Philippine Masters here in 2018, winning three of the first six holes.
Balasabas, however, regained his touch at the back and forced an all-square match after 13 holes but Van der Valk, who won the Splendido Taal and the Pradera Verde legs of this year’s PGT, took two of the next four holes to advance following a 4&2 win over Dan Cruz Tuesday.
Among the contenders, however, Go appeared to have built momentum and confidence with his pair of one-sided wins, thrashing Caliraya Springs leg winner Zanieboy Gialon, 7&5, after dispatching Marvin Dumandan, 5&4, in the first round.
