Van der Valk holds sway to lead by two

Guido Van der Valk does just enough to jump ahead of the pack by two. —CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

STA. ROSA, Laguna—The conditions were at their most difficult on Thursday and Dutchman Guido Van der Valk scrambled well enough to keep it near par, with a second straight two-over 74 giving him a two-shot lead heading into the final round of the P6 million The Country Club Invitational.

Van der Valk used a strong start to cushion a wobbly finish as he takes a 221 total into the final 18 holes, two-ahead of the resilient Zanieboy Gialon, who assembled another 74 with LJ Go firing the week’s only sub-par card, a 71, lurking another two strokes behind.

“I’m a little bit disappointed with the end-result, because I played really good for about 15 holes and then just had a couple of bad swings in the end,” Van der Valk said.

Despite bogeys in three of his last six holes, Van Der Valk stayed on course towards being just the second man after the absent Angelo Que to win this event two straight times.

Jessie Balasabas and Clyde Mondilla, tied for the lead with Van der Valk and Jay Bayron after the first round, were five adrift after a 75 and 78, respectively. The two were joined at 226 by Michael Bibat, who shot a 75 and former champ Antonio Lascuña, who returned a 73.

“It seemed like it was very easy for him,” Gialon said in Filipino, referring to the way Van der Valk played the windswept, 7,600-yard layout.

Go, the former national champion who is still winless as a pro, had two birdies and a bogey that came on the tough 15th as he put himself in contention for the most lucrative prize on the local tour.

Balasabas, meanwhile, was on course towards putting the memories of an ugly second round 78 behind, only to bogey No. 16 and double bogey the closing hole. INQ