CAVINTI, Laguna – Tony Lascuña fired a vibrant eight-under 64 and secured a two-stroke lead over Angelo Que and Clyde Mondilla at the start of the P2.5 million ICTSI Caliraya Springs Championship on Tuesday, May 18, here.
With the notorious Caliraya winds taking a rare break beneath the dark skies, Lascuña made his move early and delivered a performance worthy of yet another championship.
“I feel like young again. I hit all fairways and greens and finished with 28 putts,” said Lascuña in jest, basking in the glow of his performance, made even more impressive by the lift, clean and place rule in effect due to the fairways’ uneven conditions from summer heat.
Yielding 50-60 yards to the Tour’s revered long hitters, Lascuña relied on his
However, Que, the reigning Order of Merit winner, and multi-titled Mondilla lurked closely behind with matching 66s. Keanu Jahns entered the mix with a 67, aiming for back-to-back championships after defeating Que by four strokes in this event last year.
The rolling Caliraya layout, known for its challenges, transformed into a scoring paradise under these conditions, yielding 35 under-par rounds and 11 even-par cards. This raised the stakes significantly for the chase for the top 40 and ties that will advance to the final two rounds of the second leg of the 10-leg circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.
flawless performance, stumbled with a bogey on the tricky par-4 18th. However, this misstep did not overshadow his superb 31-35 round, which included three birdies and an eagle on No. 4, along with birdies on Nos. 16 and 17.
Mondilla also credited the favorable weather for his fine round, stating, “It wasn’t too hot, which helped produce good scores. He said he felt as if he were already playing in a championship flight, with big hitters like Que and Jahns in his group.
He birdied five of his first 12 holes and closing with a birdie-bogey-birdie finish for a 34-32. He lamented missed birdie opportunities, saying, “There were many chances that didn’t go in.”
Jahns also eagled No. 4, notching six birdies but stumbling with a bogey and a double bogey at the par-3 11th. Still, with a five-under, the Fil-German stood just three strokes off Lascuña, alongside Fidel Concepcion, Jeffren Lumbo, Dino Villanueva, and Rupert Zaragosa.
Meanwhile, Koreans Lee Song and Ryoto Furuya led the international charge with 68s, joining Russell Bautista, Gabriel Manotoc, Ivan Monsalve, and Nilo Salahog in a tie for ninth.
Sean Ramos birdied two of the last five holes, leading a tightly contested group at 69 that includes contenders Art Arbole, Jay Bayron, Michael Bibat, Aidric Chan, Jhondie Quibol, and Boni Salahog, making the leaderboard intensely competitive.
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