STA. ROSA, Laguna—Hyun Ho Rho staged a dramatic comeback to claim the first semifinal berth in the ICTSI The Country Club Match Play Invitational, edging Rico Depilo on the 19th hole in a pulsating quarterfinal duel at the TCC course here on Thursday.
Facing a daunting three-hole deficit with just four holes to play, the 18-year-old Rho displayed nerves of steel. He birdied the par-4 No. 14 and capitalized on Depilo’s errors to win Nos. 16 and 17, leveling the match heading into the final hole.
Depilo managed to force an extra hole but faltered when his approach on the tricky par-4 No. 1 found water, handing Rho the hard-fought victory.
Rho now faces 29th-seeded Arnold Villacencio in the semis. Villacencio continued his giant-killing run by ousting No. 21 Dino Villanueva, 3&1.
“I was 3-down going to No. 14, but I birdied it and won Nos. 16 and 17 to make it all square,” said Rho, who has come close to claiming titles before but has yet to break through on the Philippine Golf Tour.
The other semis matchup features seasoned veteran Jay Bayron taking on Albin Engino, both of whom pulled off upsets against higher-seeded opponents. Their victories continue the trend of surprises in the season-ending championship sponsored by ICTSI.
