Mondilla paces Philippine Am qualifying

MANILA— launched his bid for a second national title by firing a one-over-par 73 yesterday to pace the qualifying round of the 2011 Philippine Amateur golf championship at Wack Wack East.
The long-hitting 17-year-old, who won at his course in Del Monte last year, gunned down three birdies to cushion four bogeys and grabbed a one-stroke lead over Justin Quiban heading into the final 18 holes of the stroke-play stage.
Mondilla’s last birdie came on the par-5 13th as he acquitted himself well on the same course where he missed the 36-hole cut of the recent Philippine Open won by American Berry Henson over Filipino Jay Bayron.
Quiban assembled nines of 36-38 for 74, with burly Aris Mata and lanky Brent Sumampong both shooting 76s to boost their chances of getting light assignments in the match-play stage of the tournament presented by Pancake House and SOC Land and backed by Great Depot, Callaway and Odyssey Golf.
Ruperto Zaragosa III, the pocket-sized 13-year-old who won the junior version of this event at Alabang just over a week ago, gutted out a 77 that was way better than the scores of some of the struggling big guns.
Veteran King Stehmeier and 15-year-old Cebuano Gio Gandiongco fired 78s even as title favorites Zannie Boy Gialon and Jobim Carlos limped home with 81s.
Sarah Ababa and Andie Unson, meanwhile, paced women’s play with 74s, four clear of Sunshine Baraquiel, Chihiro Ikeda and Daniela Uy.
Wack Wack president Philip Ella Juico said the first big amateur event the club is hosting since a massive three-year renovation that started in 2008 is part of the effort to help amateur golf.
“May we just say that with the cooperation of the Wack Wack board (of directors), we’re making Wack Wack available for junior golf to help develop the sport we all love,” Juico said.
Matthew Manotoc, the former PH team member on a comeback trail after earning a degree in the United States, fired an 80 as the length and tall rough of the East course sent scores soaring in the high 80s and 90s.