Abdon, Ardina rule match play crowns

MANILA, Philippines - John Kier Abdon and Dottie Ardina lived up to their billing and crowned themselves the new Philippine Amateur Match Play (Closed) champions, beating their respective rivals in similar fashion in sweltering heat at the Sherwood Hills Golf Club in Cavite yesterday.

Abdon took two of the first six holes and never trailed, clinching a 4 and 3 victory over Andres Saldana with a routine par on the par-5 No. 15 in men’s play while Ardina won the first three holes and went on to fashion out a similar 4 and 3 romp over ICTSI teammate Javyie Agojo in the ladies side of the event which served as the third leg of the Globe Amateur Golf Circuit.

Sherwood golf manager Raymond Bunquin flashed his familiarity with the tough layout and came away with a 4 and 2 victory over Jingy Tuason to pocket the mid-amateur title in the event backed by Suntrust Properties, Inc., Airphil Express, Titleist, Pancake House, Golf Depot and official hotel Microtel Suites.

Lino Magpantay, playing out of Summit Point, rebounded from a faltering finish by outsteadying Kinitchi Kitamura on the second playoff hole to bag the seniors diadem in the week-long tournament conducted by the National Golf Association of the Philippines.

On hand during the awards rites were National Golf Association of the Philippines president Tommy Manotoc, Atty. Harry Paltongan, president of new Sherwood club owner Suntrust Properties, Inc. and Bunquin.

Magpantay yielded the last two holes in regulation, enabling Kitamura to square the match but the former banged in a clutch par-putt on the second extra hole to snatch the victory as Kitamura fumbled with a bogey.

Abdon and Saldana parred the first three holes in the featured match but the former went 1-up after the latter bogeyed the par-5 No. 4. Abdon birdied No. 10 to go 2-up then watched Saldana sputter with bogeys on Nos. 13 and 14 before matching his rival’s par on the next to wrap up the match.

Ardina, on the other hand, primed up for her title defense in the Queen Sirikit Cup next week as she overpowered Agojo with a sizzling birdie-par-birdie start to set the tone for the rout.

It was Ardina’s third victory in two months as she also topped the WWWExpress-DHL Open Championship and the Kuala Lumpur, putting herself in good stead as she tries to defend the individual Sirikit crown against the best players in the Asia-Pacific region in Singapore.

Meanwhile, the NGAP will also hold the Visayas and Mindanao regionals and the national boys and doubles championships and the junior amateur open as part of the Globe Amateur Golf Circuit .and in line with NGAP’s thrust to discover and develop talents from the countryside.