Mondilla ends three-year dry spell with five-shot win

Clyde Mondilla played his worst round of the week, but a pressure-free one-over-par 72 was enough for him to end a three-year title drought after winning the P2 million ICTSI Forest Hills Challenge by five shots over Angelo Que and Dino Villanueva in Antipolo.

“I just played it safe at the back. But it wasn’t after I hit my drive on No. 17 that I knew it’s (win) mine,” said Mondilla, who is also expecting his second child next month, after tallying a 72-hole 266 built around an eye-popping 60 in the opening round. “I’m just so blessed.”

Mondilla opened with birdies in his first two holes to widen his overnight lead on Que to eight. He then played it coy and dropped shots on three of his next four before scoring pars the rest of the way.

Those three bogeys cost Mondilla the chance for a shot at equaling the largest margin of victory for the year, which was Rupert Zaragosa’s nine-shot triumph over Antonio Lascuña at Sta. Barbara in Iloilo.

Back by September

Que, meanwhile, couldn’t really get it going, settling for a level 71 that allowed Villanueva to tie him for the second spot. Villanueva closed out with a day-best 66.

Albin Engino, who was second after the first round, also skied to a 74 to finish 10 shots behind, with Lascuña shooting a 70 to catch Dutchman Guido Van Der Valk (72) at 277.

The circuit takes a two-month break before resuming with two legs in Mindanao and the Mondilla win has assured that after seven legs, there are no two-time winners thus far this season. INQ