Zaragosa, Uy complete national title doubles

MANILA, Philippines - Rupert Zaragosa fought back from a two- hole deficit and repulsed Ramir Roque, 2-up, to capture the Philippine Junior Amateur Open match play championship presented by the MVP Sports Foundation at Alabang Golf Club yesterday. Zaragosa,

16, recovered from a shaky start as he frustrated Roque with closing pars to complete another sweep of the boys’ and men’s championships in the event serving as part of the PLDT Group Amateur Tour. “I am extremely happy for being able to play

the way I did, because we both scrambled all round,” said Zaragosa, who also swept both titles as a 13-year-old in 2011.

Daniella Uy took the girls’ crown in the event backed by Pancake House, Golf Depot and Pacsports, outlasting Team ICTSI’s Mikhaela Fortuna after 20 holes in sweltering heat.

Uy thus matched Zaragosa’s twin kill as they both triumphed at the Palmer course of The Orchard in Dasmariñas, Cavite three weeks ago.

Zaragosa pulled level after pars on the sixth and eighth holes – which Roque bogeyed – before falling 1-down again with a bogey on the 10th after his approach hit a tree on the right fairway.

Roque then three-putted No. 12 then the Bukidnon bet wavered with back-to-back bogeys from No. 13 after missing both greens, enabling Zaragosa to seize a 2-up lead.

But the 17-year-old refused to give up and rolled in a 25-foot birdie on the 15th to close within one again.

Both birdied the par-5 16th and settled for pars on the 17th, leaving Roque with one chance to tie it all up going into the final hole.

But after Zaragosa put hit drive safely on the fairway of the par-5 closing hole, Roque pulled his tee shot and needed to play out of the tree- lined, left side rough that led to another bogey.