Korean Kim Tae Soo needed an extra hole in their marathon 36-hole duel to nip Leandro Bagtas and claim the boys’ crown while young Rianne Malixi halted erstwhile unbeaten Laurea Duque to clinch the girls’ diadem in the Philippine Amateur Open Match Play Championships crown at the Luisita Golf and Country Club in Tarlac yesterday.

Kim pulled through with a par on their third trip on the par-4 No. 1 in another sweltering day after an up-and-down windup in regulation that saw Bagtas forcing an all-square match on the 34th after trailing the morning duel by one hole.

Kim Tae Soo (right) and Rianne Malixi pose with the huge Philippine Amateur Open Match Play Championship perpetual trophy after ruling their respective sides at Luisita.

Kim went 1-up again by winning No. 17, their 35th hole, but bogeyed the last which Bagtas parred to extend the match. Bagtas, however, failed to match his rival’s par on the 37th.

It was a big victory for Kim, who ended up at 13th after the 36-hole stroke play elims and worked his way into contention by nipping Perry Bucay in 19 holes, edging Paolo Wong, 1-up, and shocking top seed and last year’s winner Carl Corpus, 2&1, in the semis.

Tags: Kim Tae Soo , Laurea Duque , Leandro Bagtas , Luisita Golf and Country Club , Paolo Wong , Philippine Amateur Open Match Play Championships , Rianne Malixi