ANTIPOLO. — Clyde Mondilla slowed down a bit but stretched his run of impeccable rounds at Forest Hills-Nicklaus with another solid 66 Wednesday, staying way ahead of the pack of seasoned campaigners and a couple of hungry aces halfway through the ICTSI Forest Hills Classic here.
After he flubbed five makeable putts for birdie within eight feet from No. 17, Mondilla was more than satisfied to find himself firmly entrenched at the top with a 16-under 126 total at the par-71 rolling course, moving closer to ending a three-year title drought in the P2 million championship.
“I struggled with my putting and missed five straight birdie chances,” said Mondilla. “There was a big gap, difference from my first round 60. But I still like my position.”
The Del Monte ace fashioned out a bogey-free 60 in preferred conditions in the first round and kicked off his second-round assault at the back with birdies on Nos. 10, 13 and 16 then gathered himself from a string of missed birdie opportunities by sinking birdies on Nos. 6 and 8.
He stressed this marked the third time that he came out of a 36-hole play without a bogey although he added: “But it’s been a long time and I can’t remember when and where I did those feats.”
What’s sure is he’s on top of a stellar field by a big margin and on track on winning again since ruling a five-man playoff in the Philippine Golf Tour Asia leg at Pradera Verde in 2020.
“The course is so tricky and those chasing me are all good and strong players. Sana magtuloy-tuloy lang ang laro ko na walang bogey,” added the former Philippine Open champion.
Albin Engino, still in search for a maiden win in a long PGT campaign, overcame a double bogey on No. 12 with six birdies as he fired a 67 and stayed in second at 131 but Tony Lascuna and Angelo Que, two of the Tour’s revered players, made their moves with a pair of 66s to get into attacking position in the last two rounds for a possible crack at the top purse of P360,000.
Lascuna, winner at Caliraya Springs, gunned down seven birdies against two bogeys for nines of 31-35 and pooled 132 for solo third to earn a spot in the featured flight while Que rattled off six birdies against a bogey to churn out his own version of a five-under card and a 136 total.
Keanu Jahns, also in quest of a PGT breakthrough, shot 68 for 137; Ruperto Zaragosa, the runaway winner in Iloilo, carded a 70 for solo sixth at 138; while Bacolod leg champion Ira Alido and Villamor Philippine Masters titlist Jhonnel Ababa matched outputs for the second straight day — 67 – as they shared seventh place at 139 with Dino Villanueva, who carded a 72 after a four-under round in the first day.
