Mondilla storms to top, paces US’ Paez by 1 shot

BIG-HITTING Clyde Mondilla fired a one-under-par 70 yesterday and the ICTSI Riviera Classic, for the third straight day, toasted a new leader after second-round frontrunner Rufino Bayron ballooned to a 77 at the complex’s tough Langer layout in Silang, Cavite.

Mondilla, a winner of two legs this season, bounced back from a two-over card coming out with all four of his birdies coming in the back nine as the Del Monte native takes a one-stroke lead over the American Nicolas Paez going into today’s final round with a 207 tally.

Paez, who bungled the final-round lead last week at Wack Wack East in the Aboitiz Invitational, returned a second straight 68 and put himself in the mix again.
Micah Shin, the first-round leader, submitted another 72 to be two shots behind like Jay Bayron, who assembled a 69.

Mondilla, who started the day four shots behind Rufino Bayron, did his part by picking up shots on the 10th and three straight from the 14th. He then got a huge lift when Rufino Bayron and Shin dropped a combined five shots on the par-4 11th.

“They (Rufino Bayron and Shin) made mistakes on the 11th and I just made the most out of the opportunity,” Mondilla said in Filipino. “I just attacked from there and got lucky in making the birdies.”

The veteran Antonio Lascuña and rookie Jobim Carlos were tied at level 213 after efforts of 68 and 73, respectively, with Charles Hong firing a 70 to be at 214 and still with a long shot at winning.

Paez, who finished sixth last week after closing out with a 77 at Wack Wack, also had a triple bogey 7 on the 11th like Bayron but bounced back with a flourish by picking up three shots in his last five holes.

“My game plan (for the final day) is to be able to play steady and attack the pins when there’s a chance,” Mondilla said.

Jay Bayron bogeyed the difficult 18th hole for the third straight round and could have been in the lead. Musong R. Castillo