Go, Ramos set pace with 67s
LLOYD Go and Sean Ramos came up with sizzling fiveunder 67s to stand a stroke ahead of Ira Alido after one round of the ICTSI Palos Verdes Championship in Davao on Tuesday.
Fresh from the Lexus Challenge in Vietnam, the kickoff leg of the Asian Development Tour, Go and Ramos played solid in tough conditions at the rolling Rancho Palos Verdes layout.
“It was windy and super-hot in Vietnam, so I kind of gotten used to it already,” said Go on the conditions, following a missed cut stint in Vietnam.
“I played very good out there, didn’t make any bogeys and made a lot of up-and-downs,” said the Cebuano ace, who highlighted his 3532 round with a chip-in birdie on the par-3 17th that turned what could’ve been a bogey into a momentumshifting moment.
“It could’ve been a bogey but chipped it in, so practically that’s a 2-shot swing,” he added.
Ramos overcame an early slip on No. 2 with four birdies in the next six holes. Birdies on Nos. 12 and 14 propelled him to a share of the early lead in the P2 million championship sponsored by ICTSI.
“I think it [ADT stint] helped me because it showed that I still had a lot of things to work on,” said Ramos, who tied for 46th in the Lexus Challenge. “I think my swing was feeling better. My driving and iron game were really okay.”
As Go and Ramos aimed to maintain their momentum after matching career-best starts in the 72-hole tournament organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc. and supported by Kampfortis Golf, a slew of contenders stood closely behind.
Alido positioned himself strongly with a 68, nailing five birdies against a lone bogey for solo third. He credited his long game for his strong start and his wedges helped allow him to make crucial birdies throughout the round.
“Unlike last week, I used a lot of drivers, which was my strongest point. But the difference is in clubbing and holding a lot of wedges is also a strong part of my game,” said Alido.
Unheralded Emilio Panimdim Jr., who tied for 23rd in PGT qualifying at South Pacific and placed 38th in Apo, came up with an eagle-birdie windup at the front, finishing tied with Alido at four-under.
Meanwhile, Reymond Jaraula recovered from a wobbly start to finish with a flurry of frontside birdies, carding a 69 to seize solo fifth.
Nelson Huerva and Korea’s Mingi Kim shared sixth spot at 70 with Guido van der Valk, who lost in sudden death to Jhonnel Ababa in the Apo Golf Classic.
Jay Bayron, tied for third with Tony Lascuña at Apo, shot a 70 for joint ninth with Russel Bautista, Paul Echavez, Albin Engino, Keanu Jahns and Dino Villanueva.
However, several top performers from the Apo leg struggled to adapt to the challenges posed by the challenges at Palos Verdes, including winner Jhonnel Ababa.
“I had a bad start, made a double bogey on No. 1 and I struggled with my irons throughout,” rued Ababa, who ended up with a 76 for 41st spot, in danger of the cut set at 40-plus ties.
Angelo Que, who is also back from an International Series campaign in Macau, gunned down four birdies but fumbled with two bogeys and a double bogey for a 72 for joint 15th with Q-school topnotcher Aidric Chan, Michael Bibat, Marvin Dumandan, Ivan Monsalve, Art Arbole, Randy Garalde and Francis Morilla.
Lascuña struggled with a 73 for a share of 23rd with Elee Bisera, Fidel Concepcion, Japan’s Koji Inoue, Edmar Salvador, Jr. and Rupert Zaragosa, while rookie Ryan Monsalve, who placed a strong fifth at Apo, slowed down with a 74 for solo 29th.