BACOLOD. – Frankie Miñoza kept on dishing out vintage performances even while his rivals — a blend of young and old — hobbled in blustery conditions and tough greens, carding a one-under 69 Thursday to take a three-stroke lead over erstwhile co-leader Albin Engino halfway through the ICTSI Negros Occidental Golf Classic presented by More Power here.
Two birdies in a solid frontside windup enabled the former Asian No. 1 to overcome a shaky backside 36 and buck the wind that bedeviled the games of majority of his pursuers, leaving him as the only player from the starting field of 66 to put in back-to-back under-par rounds at the challenging Marapara course.
“Like in the first round, I played very good, driving almost perfect. My irons are good and though my putting was not as good, it was acceptable,” said Miñoza, who was as surprised as the rest of the stellar cast to be on top of the heap with a 137 total, counting a first round 68.
After birdying No. 10 where he teed off, Minoza failed to get up and down on No. 13 then three-putted the 17th from 25 feet, flubbing a six-footer for par. But he tapped in for birdie on the par-5 No. 2 and drained a 25-footer for another birdie on the fourth then parred the rest for a 33.
But two fine rounds do not make a champion golfer, and Minoza, 62, knows fully well that it would take more than superb shotmaking and putting to end a long title spell in a checkered pro career.
“Fatigue will be a big factor, I’m getting old. There are still two more days, so I can’t talk about my chances,” said Minoza, who edged Miguel Tabuena in sudden death here to nail his last victory in 2016. “But I’ll do my best — hit the ball good and be patient — and let’s see what happens.”
Don Petil tried to make things happen, threatening to grab the lead with a sterling four-under card after 15 holes in the heat and wind. But like the other pursuers, the 29-year-old shotmaker, who turned pro last October, cracked when the going got tougher, closing out with a disastrous bogey-double bogey-bogey finish.
