Zaragosa, Park trounce rivals, arrange title duel

Rupert Zaragosa and Korean Park Min-ung whisked off their respective rivals in varying fashions yesterday to arrange a showdown for the Philippine Amateur Match Play Championship crown at the rchard’s Palmer course in asmariñas, Cavite.

Zaragosa, 16, repulsed reigning unior Amateur champion Gen Nagai, 2 1, while Park, who won the junior crown two years ago, dominated Korean Kim Tae-woo, 7 6, to advance to the finals of the event presented by the MVP Sports Foundation and backed by Pancake House, Golf epot and Pacsports as part of the PL T Group Amateur Tour.

aniela Uy and uka Saso, a Filipino apanese, sealed a title duel in women’s play also after scoring two victories.

Uy took out Chanelle Avaricio, 4 2, while Saso, a member of the crack ICTSI golf squad, beat reigning junior am titlist Bianca Pagdanganan, 4 3.

The pint-sized Zaragosa first won in 2011 at Canlubang against ohn Kier Abdon, now a pro, before nipping Nagai again last year. He will take on the 14-year-old Park, who dished out impressive form to gain a crack at the championship.

Park first manhandled the seasoned King Stehmeier, an rchard member, 7 6, before returning in the afternoon to rip Kim, a 2 1 winner over former pro Eddie Bagtas.

It will be an interesting match because Park is so good,” Zaragosa said. But I will just enjoy the chance to play for another national title again. Though it is match play, I will still be up against myself, basically.”

Nagai, who scored a hard-earned 1-up victory over the comebacking Antonio Asistio in the quarterfinals, fell behind early, 3-down, after the first nine holes and won just one hole the entire match, the 14th with a birdie, before Zaragosa wrapped it all up with a matching par on the 17th.