Jacob Rolida, Aidric Chan roll into MVPSF match play quarters

MANILA, Philippines — Jacob Rolida and Aidric Chan imposed their will early and fashioned out a pair of lopsided victories to storm into the quarterfinal round of the fourth MVPSF Visayas Regional Match Play Championships at Cebu Country Club yesterday.

Rolida, who topped the 36-hole stroke play elims, took the first three holes against No. 16 Fernando Mondares with a par game, clinched two more holes at the turn before wrapping up with a par-birdie-par binge from No. 10 for an 8&6 romp at the start of the knockout phase of the event serving as part of the PLDT Group National Amateur Tour and conducted by the National Golf Association of the Philippines.

The second seeded Chan also used a strong frontside attack to oust Weiyu Gao, 5&3, for a quarters duel with Paolo Wong, who thumped Santino Laurez, 5&4, in the lower bracket of the event while third ranked Rolando Pila also routed Mark Dy, 5&4, for a showdown with No. 6 Martin Mendoza, who outlasted Mikhael Ybañez, 2&1.

No. 8 Harvey Sytiongsa likewise started out strong but had to fend off the rallying ninth seed Carl Corpus in the stretch, pulling off a 2-up victory on a birdie-par windup to seal a Last 8 clash with Rolida.

Corpus battled back from four down with a big backside fightback, winning the first three holes at the back and forcing an all-square game with a birdie on No. 14. But he stumbled at the finish while Sytiongsa recovered his bearing and birdied the 17th before clinching the win as Corpus bogeyed the last while trying to extend the match.

Masaichi Otake, meanwhile, pulled off a big reversal as the No. 12 bet upended fifth ranked Joseph Alvarez, 2-up, to arrange a quarters showdown with No. 4 Joaquin Gomez, who also nipped No. 13 Alfredo Cabajar, 1-up.

Otake outsteadied Alvarez in a pressure-packed backside duel, pouncing on Alvarez’s pick-up on No. 14 and completing a 2-up win with a closing par.

Gomez fought back from 2-down after 11 and went 1-up with three holes left but triple bogeyed No. 16, needing to birdie the last to barge into the next round of the event sponsored by the MVP Sports Foundation, PLDT Group, Cignal and Metro Pacific and hosted by CCC.

Meanwhile, Junia Gabasa and Pamela Mariano, who took the top two spots in the ladies side, step up their respective bids after drawing opening round byes with the former facing off with No. Wilma Fantonial and the latter clashing with Marie Suelo.