LIPA CITY — Abe Rosal cruised to a nine-stroke romp despite a 79 while Gerald Katigbak fired a two-under 70 to retain his crown in the Philippine Seniors and Mid-Amateur Open Championships at the Mt. Malarayat Golf and Country Club here yesterday.
Rosal, who all but wrapped up his first seniors championship with a one-under 71 Thursday, played pressure-free at the Mt. Malipunyo and Mt. Lobo nines all day, keeping his overnight nine-shot lead to the finish as Dave Hernandez failed to make a charge and also ended up with a 79.
He wound up with a 224, including an opening 74, while Hernandez, who showed up the field with a 72 in the first round, finished with a 233. Jose Mari Hechanova carded a second 78 for a 236 and clinched third place in the 54-hole event held as part of the PLDT Group National Amateur Golf Tour and backed by the MVP Sports Foundation,
Katigbak, on the other hand, gunned down six birdies against four bogeys, his 70 and a 143 netting him a whopping 13-stroke victory over Hurry Cabajar for a second straight Mid-Am Open diadem in the 36-hole tournament organized and conducted by the National Golf Association of the Philippines and supported by hole-in-one sponsor Bushnell Prox2 Rangefinder.
Cabajar shot a 74 for a 156 while Earel Gardiola wound up third with a 157 after an 81.
Don Petil and Korean Shin Seo Yun also posted a pair of runaway triumphs in the Elite Amateur Open with the former matching par 72 for a 218 and beating Ivan Monsalve, who had a 222 after a 75, and the latter carding a 73 for a 220 and a five-shot victory over compatriot Kwon Seo Yon, who made a 74 for a 225.
Allan Alegre scored a 79 for a 161 and took the Seniors Division I plum with a 161, 10 shots over Bimbo Iñigo, who had an 84-171, while Philip del Carmen ruled Division II with a 162 after an 82, eight ahead of Tsutomo Fujita (87-170), and Katy Katigbak tallied an 80 and a 161 to edge Bong Sison (81-162) for the Super Senior crown.
