Saragosa tries to annex jr match play plum

MANILA, Philippines - Rupert Zaragosa opens his bid for another national title when the 2014 Philippine Junior Amateur Open Match Play championship presented by the MVP Sports Foundation unfolds at the Alabang Golf and Country Club today.

The pint-sized 16-year-old shotmaker will be trying to add the crown to the men’s title he won at Orchard recently and duplicate his feat three years ago against the very same field he dominated at the Palmer layout in Dasmariñas, Cavite.

Gen Nagai, the Junior stroke play champion, Korean expat Park Min-ung and a big number of local aces will all be trying to foil Zaragosa, who routed Park in the men’s final, 7 and 6.

“It will again be a tough tournament because there are a lot of good players entered,” said Zaragosa after a practice round at the posh layout inside Ayala Alabang Village.

The field will play an 18-hole qualifying to determine the rankings, with only the top 32 boys and top 16 girls advancing to the match play stages beginning tomorrow.

Princess Superal, the multi-titled spearhead of the formidable ICTSI squad, looms as the solid favorite in the girls’ division owing to her victories in the Kuala Lumpur Amateur Open and the Royal Selangor Amateur Open recently.

Daniela Uy will also be chasing a rare double as she seeks to follow up on her women’s national title won over Yuka Saso at Orchard. Bianca Pagdanganan, the girls’ stroke play champion, is also competing in the event backed by Pancake House, Golf Depot and Pacsports as part of the PLDT Group Amateur Tour.

Nagai will also be seeking some sort of payback against Zaragosa after being bundled out in the Final Four in one of the tightest matches at Orchard.