Mondilla opens with 60 for five-shot lead

Clyde Mondilla: 12 birdies —CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

The long-hitting Clyde Mondilla flirted with golf’s magic number on Tuesday before settling for an 11-under-par 60, which came down to a four-shot lead over Albin Engino after the opening round of the P2 million ICTSI Forest Hills Classic, the mark not considered a course record nor a new Philippine Golf Tour standard with the round using preferred lies rules.

Mondilla, a former Philippine Open champion, birdied eight holes coming home and bogeyed the par-3 13th, as his 31-29 effort put him in the driver’s seat for the first time this season with Engino giving chase and Antonio Lascuña entering the second round six shots off.

“I just felt that I could birdie every hole on the back nine,” Mondilla said. “I got my confidence early (after four front nine birdies) and I kept on attacking.”

Lascuña who won two straight titles at the Nicklaus layout from 2016, fired a 63 the following year, before Jonel Ababa assembled the same number a year later—under summer rules all—for the standing course record.

With the field allowed to lift, clean and place from the fairways, a total of 12 players cracked par with another five shooting level 72s as the chase for the first two-time winner this year remains open.

Dino Villanueva returned a 67, Rupert Zaragosa, the Sta. Barbara leg winner, was another shot back with Keanu Jahns leading two others with 69s.

Former PH Team member Elee Bisera was the brightest rookie in the first round after shooting a 70, a shot ahead of Kristoffer Arevalo and Josh Jorge with Gab Manotoc, another long-time national, shooting a 73 to keep himself in the mix. INQ