Piece of NTCC history on the line in Mangulabnan-Rosal duel
Abe Rosal remembers the last significant match play he was a part of and how it ended.
“It was 26 years ago,” the 62-year-old Rosal said after bundling out Patrick Solano on Tuesday, 7&5, to make the quarterfinals of Inquirer Golf’s National Tournament of Club Champions presented by Lexus at Eagle Ridge. “It was in the semis of the Philippine Am, when I lost to Artemio Murakami, who eventually won.”
What he cannot now remember is the last time he played three straight days of tournament golf, one that is crucial as the “happy grandfather of one” clashes with history-seeking Rodel Mangulabnan for a place in the Final Four of Senior play.
He’ll have to max himself out after Wednesday, as the winner would need five straight days of dominant play to prevail in the trailblazing event that will also crown Men’s and Ladies champions on Friday.
“It’s tough for me. We are talking of playing well for five straight [days] to win here,” Rosal went on. “But this is high stakes and the juices could just start flowing.”
The attention has shifted on this matchup as Mangulabnan, who carved out a 5&3 win over Edgar Quiao, is seeking to win a second Senior title and fourth overall, counting his two Men’s diadems.
“We’ve had some memorable battles in [team play] before, like in the Interclub and Fil-Am, but never in match play,” Rosal said.
Oscar Gallo is the top seed in the 55-year-old and above division and will see action for the first time opposite Marvin Caparros, the winner over Jerome Hernandez after 20 holes.
Theody Pascual of Manila Southwoods also advanced after a walkover victory over Euls Austin. He plays Choi Seon-ho, a 1-up winner over John Majarucon.
The quarterfinals of all three divisions will be played at the unpredictable Dye layout as top Men’s seed Gary Sales swings into action after a first-round bye to tangle with Perry Bucay, a 7&5 winner over Hidenobu Hirooka, while No. 2 Ace Stehmeier clashes with Manila Southwoods bet Ruel Cabral, a 1-up winner over Lawrence Celestino, also for a place in the quarterfinals.
Top Ladies bet Kim Kyung-ae and No. 2 Roh Kyung-ae also play for the first time, colliding with Irene Jang and Denise Dennon, respectively. Jang showed Jill Raymundo the door after a 4&3 win, while Dennon ousted Kim Young-ok, 4&3.
Matet Salivio, the No. 4 seed who is seeking to win this event for the third time, posted a 7&5 win over Cecile Tan to advance against young Annika Cruz, the No. 5 seed who pulled out a 20th-hole win over Vangie Magnayon.
