Legaspi, Castro share top honors in Riviera Am

MANILA, Philippines — Luis Castro survived a shaky windup and took the men’s crown by two over Tom Kim despite a 76 while Sofia Legaspi foiled Kayla Nocum in sudden death to snare the ladies title in the 2017 Riviera MVPSF Amateur Championship at Riviera Golf Club’s Langer course in Silang, Cavite yesterday.

Castro, who built a four-shot lead after two rounds in the centerpiece division, went 8-up after 11 holes at resumption of the 54-hole championship but made five bogeys against one birdie in the last seven holes and barely clinched the victory on a 38-38 card and a 217 total.

Kim ran out of holes in his comeback bid and settled for second at 219 after a pair of 37s while Aidric Chan wound up third with a 225 after a 77 in a day of soaring scores at one of the country’s toughest courses in the event hosted and co-sponsored by RGCI for the first time with the MVP Sports Foundation.

Three-up after 36 holes, Legaspi held on to a two-shot lead after a 41 at the turn but Nocum took control with a par-birdie-birdie feat to open the backside as the former bogeyed the first three holes and fell by three.

But Legaspi pounced on Nocum’s bogey on No. 16 then birdied the 17th which Nocum bogeyed to set the stage for the playoff as the duo bogeyed the challenging par-4 closing hole to finish with identical 235s. Legaspi fumbled with an 81 while Nocum carded a 78.

Legaspi, however, regained her form in the first playoff hole and hit a par on No. 1, clinching the victory as Nocum missed the green and made a bogey.

Sharing top honors in the event organized and conducted by the National Golf Association of the Philippines and serving as part of the PLDT Group’s National Amateur Golf Tour were Takuya Kawamura and Eddie Bagtas.

Kawamura shot an 80 for a 160 and beat Michael Mendoza, who carded a 79 for a 162, for the Mid-Amateur crown, while Bagtas ran away with the seniors plum with a 151 after a 78, seven ahead of Alan Alegre, who made a 79 for a 158.

Jing Romero placed third in the Mid-Am with a 165 after an 88 while erstwhile co-leader Howie Sison fumbled with a 90 and dropped to fourth at 167.