SYTIONGSA, PILA IN MVPSF FINAL

Cebuanos Harvey Sytiongsa, Roland Pila face off in 36-hole championship match

CEBUANO golfers Harvey Sytiongsa and Rolando Pila held their own against tough opponents to arrange a 36-hole championship duel in the 4th MVPSF Visayas Regional Matchplay Championships at the Cebu Country Club (CCC).

The No. 8 seeded Sytiongsa pulled off the day’s biggest upset after knocking out top-seeded Jacob Rolida, 2-up, in the quarterfinals played on Thursday morning, April 11.

Sytiongsa followed it up with a win in the afternoon over No. 12 Masaichi Otake, 1-up, in the semifinals to clinch the final slot to be played on Friday, April 12.

Before the semis, Otake also inked an upset over No. 4 Joaquin Andres Gomez in the quarters, 1-up.

Sytiongsa, a member of the CCC PAL Interclub team which set history last month here as the second team in 72 years of PAL Inteclub to win the overall title while playing in the Founders division, had to escape two close matches to make it to the championship.

The duel between Rolida of Cagayan de Oro City went to 18 holes while the game against Otake was extended to a playoff hole.

Sytiongsa’s next opponent is no stranger to MVPSF championships as CCC long-time caddy Pila had been in the championship two years ago, when he finished as runner-up to Weiwei Gao.

The No. 3 seeded Pila carved his way back to the finals with a 3 and 2 win over fellow Cebuano No. 6 Martin Mendoza in the quarters, and had a 2-up win over No. 2 Aidric Chan in the semis.

The endurance of Pila and Sytiongsa will get tested when they play 36 holes for the coveted crown of the event organized by the National Golf Association of the Philippines (NAGP).

In the women’s division, Cebuana Junia Louise Gabasa will battle Pamela Mariano of Cagayan de Oro City for the championship.

The top-seeded Gabasa dominated No. 5 Ashley Llena, 9 and 8, in the semifinals after a bye on Wilma Fantonial. Gabasa also had a bye in the first round after topping the two-day qualifying.

The No. 2 ranked Mariano beat one of Cebu’s rising golfers, No. 3 Grace Pauline Quintanilla, 1-up, in the semis after winning against Seinith Marie Suelo, 8 and 6. /