Rolando Bregente carved out two impressive wins and Grace Quintanilla needed to go through the proverbial wringer before advancing as the the top-ranked men’s and ladies’ seeds to the semifinals of the NGAP’s Match Play Championship at rain-softened Luisita in Tarlac.
Lisa Sarines and Jet Hernandez, who last week won the Strokeplay Championship titles, had contrasting wet Thursday fortunes at the tree-lined layout, with the ladies champ bundling out twin sister Mona and the men’s titlist seeing his bid end after 16 holes in the quarterfinals.
The 24-year-old Bregente played just a combined 28 holes in eliminating Roel Taga-an in the morning, 3and2, before coming back at midday to bundle out young Bobe Salahog, 7and6 and advance opposite Emilio Hernandez, whose brother, the double win-seeking Jet, got the boot from teen wonder Ralph Batican, 4and2.
The match between the twin sisters ended at the 16th hole with a routine par from Lisa, who took control right out of the gates by going two-up after four holes. It ended with a 3and2 victory as Sarines advanced to face Precious Zaragosa.
‘It is what it is,’ Lisa said.