Southwoods in Fed League quarterfinals

Manila Southwoods went to its main man, Jerome Delariarte, when the match was on the line and the Asian Gamer responded to the challenge in winning a sudden-playoff for his team with high-low partner Romy Vergara against upset-conscious Royal Northwoods in their 2002 Federation Golf League quarterfinals duel recently.

Delariarte had a tap-in birdie on the playoff hole after reaching the green in two from the most difficult of situations - a very bad hook lie, the wind blowing away from the pin at the left side of the green and a ravine right on the left on the green.

Although Northwoods’ Rodel Mangulabnan was able to match the birdie from the bunker, his partner Omar Dungca turned goat when he three-putted for bogey. Vergara earlier made his own par in regulation.

The Southwoods team erupted into a wild celebration on the green after the Dungca miss with Northwoods shaking hands with them in a gesture of sportsmanship.

The Southwoods win gave them a return trip to the semis against early qualifier Mimosa. Mimosa hosts the first round in Angeles this Sunday with Southwoods’ hosting their foes on Tuesday.

Defending champion Forest Hills collides with Manila Golf which defeated Alabang, 5-3, in their quarterfinal showdown, in the other match this weekend.

"We gambled on Jerome because we felt there’s nobody in the lineup who can handle pressure and intimidate his opponent other than him," said Southwoods captain Jeric Hechanova.

Hechanova said the high-low match put his pairing at a disadvantage against the Northwoods duo both of whom were in Class A. But he felt experience will be the key in a pressure-packed situation and what happened to Dungca proved him right.

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