UP IN THE AIR
Strong field mounts challenge halfway through TCC
STA. ROSA, Laguna — The winds blew away Miguel Tabuena’s erstwhile indestructible game Wednesday. Good for him, his pursuers got it much worse.
Tabuena skied to 76 — a big departure from his opening-day 64 — as the already daunting The Country Club terrain was made all the more formidable by strong winds in the second round of the TCC Invitational here.
Scores soared as a barrage of gusts punished the entire field turning the competition into a showcase of sheer talent. Tabuena, runner-up in the Asian Tour Order of Merit, happened to have a lot of that.
The two-time Philippine Open champion stayed in control at four-under 140, four strokes clear of Tony Lascuña, who carded a 74 for 144.
“Today (yesterday) was tough for myself and I believe for everyone,” said Tabuena, who gunned down nine birdies against a birdie in setting a new course record in the first round. His lead was cut to four going into the championship rounds.
“But it’s also a regular day at TCC at this time of the year.”
Tabuena added: “I did get off to a shaky start. It wasn’t easy at all, I didn’t hit as many greens as I wanted to. But I’m pretty happy with the way I fought, pretty happy with my score. I’m in a good spot coming into the last two rounds.”
Tabuena had a birdie-less 39-37 card marred by six bogeys and a much-needed eagle on No. 10.
“Grabe ang kondisyon, ang hirap. Pero pipilitin natin (The conditions here are tough. But we will try our best),” said Lascuña, who is also seeking redemption after yielding the ICTSI TCC Match Play crown to Tabuena last November.
Clyde Mondilla birdied Nos. 8, 10 and 13 to draw par and tie Lascuña at second, even-par overall. But the 2019 Philippine Open champion bogeyed the par-3 17th but still posted one of the day’s two best 73s. He slipped to third at 145.
“Galit na galit ang course.
Kailangan mag-click ang recovery shots, dapat maganda ang putting at ang pitch, dapat maibalik para maka-save par,” (The course is unforgiving. You’d need to have your recovery shots click. Good putting and pitch to at least save par),” Mondilla said.
Rupert Zaragosa also blew an even-par card with bogeys on Nos. 15 and 16 as he carded a 74 for fourth at 147 while PGT Order of Merit titleholder Jhonnel Ababa and Rico Depilo also squandered a pair of even-par cards with wavering finishes to drop to joint fifth at 148. Three-peat seeking Guido van der Valk checked a four-over start after five holes with a second straight birdie on No. 8. But he yielded strokes on Nos. 11 and 15 to end up with a 77 and tumble to a share of seventh with Korean Min Seong Kim, who skied to a 79.