Zaragosa raps WW bet, nears Phl Am double

MANILA, Philippines - Teener Ruperto Zaragosa III lined himself up for a rare double as he whipped club bet Tootsie de Jesus, 8&7, to reach the Final Four of the 2011 Philippine Amateur Closed championship at Wack Wack’s East yesterday.

The diminutive Canlubang bet, who won the junior version of the event at Alabang two weeks ago, dominated de Jesus from the start and went on to post the lopsided victory and remain the highest seeded player at No. 2 to make the semis following the ouster of top seed Clyde Mondilla in the Last 16 phase.

Zaragosa next faces Gus Mata, another teenager playing out of Eastridge who stunned veteran No. 3 seed King Stehmeier, 7&5, for the first finals berth.

Miggy Yee and Jik-Jik Abdon will dispute the other championship berth after toppling their respective rivals in the lower half of the draw.

Top seed Andie Unson nipped Lovelyn Guioguio, 1-up, to set up a semis duel with fellow ICTSI teammate Chihiro Ikeda in the ladies side of the event presented by Pancake House and SOC Land and backed by Great Depot, Callaway and Odyssey Golf.

Ikeda, the reigning Philippine Ladies Open champion, repulsed Jayvie Agojo, 2-up.

Dottie Ardina and Sunshine Baraquiel will slug it out for the other finals berth after beating Shery Villacencio, 4&3, and Sarah Ababa, 3&2, respectively.

Semifinal action starts at 8:30 a.m. today with the finals of the men’s division set over 36 holes slated tomorrow.

Yee, an ICTSI-Canlubang stalwart like Abdon, put an end to the giant-killing ways of 48-year-old Rodel Mangulabnan, who ousted Mondilla, with a 3&2 win.

Abdon, on the other hand, eliminated Cebuano Gio Gandiongco, 1-up, with a par on the 17th, which Gandiongco bogeyed.

Zaragosa didn’t lose a hole to de Jesus, going 1-up after the first three holes before winning seven of the next eight, including the last four with routine pars.