Getting the chance to attack the pins by being consistent off the tees, Frankie Miñoza gunned down nine birdies Wednesday to shoot a seven-under-par 61 and take a two-shot lead over four players in the ICTSI Camp John Hay Invitational in Baguio.
Still the country’s foremost pro at 54 years old, Miñoza highlighted his round with a string of five birdies from No. 4 and signed for a 29-32 card over the tight, up-and-down course.
Defending champion Jay Bayron was one of those tied for second after a 63 even as the fancied Angelo Que and Miguel Tabuena fired 67s to stay within striking distance of the ageless Miñoza.
“I was able to hit the fairways consistently,” Minoza said. “My putting was good, though there were about two or three greens that were slow. The others were fairly fast.”
Miñoza did sign for two bogeys that came on the 11th and 12th holes, before closing out hot by picking up shots on the 15th and 17th as he put himself in solid contention early for the first time in three local events this year.
Anthony Fernando, Sweden’s Malcolm Kokocinski and former Philippine Open champion, the Canadian Rick Gibson, also shot 63s to be in the company of Bayron in the event backed by Nike Golf, Custom Clubmakers, Titleist, Cleveland, Pacsports, Srixon, Callaway, Sharp and FootJoy and media partners Balls TV and ABS-CBN.
Fernando, the former national champion and Philippine team spearhead still chasing his first pro crown, finished birdie-par-birdie, while Gibson, the 2002 Philippine Open winner, eagled the par-5 16th to highlight a flawless round.
Kokocinski, who was 10th in the Splendido leg won by Bayron in come-from-behind style last Sunday, birdied his last five holes to climb into that second place tie.
Que made the turn at 32 but had a double bogey and two bogeys with his eagle on the 17th enabling him to crack par, just one of 25 yielded by the surprisingly tough course.
Hole-in-one
Zanie Boy Gialon scored a hole-in-one on the 155-yard 11th with a Titleist 8-iron and Pro V1 ball to lead a huge batch of players that scored 64s that included Richard Abaring, Jessie Balasabas, Jet Mathay, Jonel Ababa and Elmer Salvador.
Antonio Lascuña, the back-to-back Order of Merit champion, hit four straight birdies from No. 14 for a 65 like Clyde Mondilla and Jun Rates.
Cassius Casas and Joey Huerva returned 66s.