Rosales tops skins game

MANILA, Philippines - Gerald Rosales showed the stuff that earned him memorable wins in his career by beating his former national teammates in the first Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office Invitational Skins Game on Friday at the Ayala Greenfield.

Rosales, the 2000 Philippine Open champion who now plays in the Asian Circuit, won nine holes in the skins game among ex-teammates and friends Gerard Cantada, Juan Miguel Rocha and Marlon Dizon.

“We’re all still good at this game,” said Rosales. “But I guess I was the better player today.”

Rocha, now general manager of Ayala Greenfield, drew first blood with a six-foot birdie. Holes 2 and 3 were tied before Dizon birdied No. 4 to go up three skins. Holes 5, 6 and 7 were tied when Cantada, the only three-peat winner of the national pro-am, birdied No. 8 to go up four skins.

Rocha again scored on No. 9, a 30-foot birdie, before Rosales found his touch with an eagle on No. 10.

Rosales then birdied the 18th from 20 feet, making him the winner as Cantada and Dizon missed their respective birdie tries.