TARLAC—Charles Hong and Clyde Mondilla fired six-under-par 66s yesterday to share the lead with two unheralded bets after the opening round of the P2 million Luisita Championship here.
Hong, a multiple leg winner on tour, was bogey-free in carving out a 34-32 card over the well-manicured but relatively short layout which fell at the mercy of the talented field as a total of 31 players cracked par.
Mondilla closed out with his seventh birdie on the 18th and joined Hong and Fil-German Keabue Jahns and Bacolod native Albin Engino at the top of the 74-man field seeing action in the first pro tournament at the Robert Trent Jones-creation since 1989.
Engino, a discovery from the defunct National Caddies Open program, was also bogey-free in shooting two 33s.
Frankie Miñoza, the legendary shotmaker from Bukidnon who won the last pro event at Luisita, put himself in the mix early with a 68 which obscure Rey Pactolerin and the long-hitting Orlan Sumcad matched.
Miñoza, the President’s Cup champion in 1989 over the likes of Carlos Espinosa of Mexico and Philippine resident Rick Gibson of Canada, fired a flawless 31 coming out with five of his six birdies but stumbled with two bogeys coming home for a 37.
Miguel Tabuena and former Philippine Open champion Elmer Salvador fired 70s and were bunched in a 10-man group that also included Jonel Ababa, Arnold Villacencio and Dutchman Guido Van Der Valk.
Antonio Lascuña, the reigning three-time Order of Merit champion, was five shots down along with eight others after shooting a 71. He would need a big middle two rounds to vault back into serious title contention.
Cassius Casas, another former PH Open winner tipped to contend well here, was a big disappointment, however, after carding a 75 marred by a triple bogey 7 on No. 4 and a double bogey 6 on the 14th.
Jahns, the ex-Alabang standout in the Philippine Airlines Interclub, gunned down eight birdies against a double bogey 6 on No. 3 to finally grab a piece of the lead for the first time as a pro.