Tabuena stays in control at TCC Invt’l

IN the windswept terrain of The Country Club, Miguel Tabuena faced the tempest head-on and remained in command despite a 76 as his rivals also came in ruffled by the winds halfway through the TCC Invitational on Wednesday.

Following his impressive eightunder 64 in hot but calm conditions on Tuesday, Tabuena and the rest of the elite cast encountered a relentless barrage of gusts throughout the day, leading to soaring scores and turning the competition into a true test of the players’ mettle and resilience.

Despite the 12-shot turnaround, however, the two-time Philippine Open champion stayed in control at four-under 140, four strokes clear of Tony Lascuña, who also struggled in the windy backside with a 38 for a 74 and a 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. “But it’s also a regular day at TCC at this time of the year.”

Tabuena had a birdie-less 39-37 card marred by six bogeys but marked by an eagle-blast on No. 10. Clyde Mondilla actually fought back strongly from an initial struggle of three bogeys after seven holes, birdying Nos. 8, 10 and 13 to draw level 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.

Rupert Zaragosa also blew an evenpar 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.

As the majority grappled with challenging club selections in the demanding conditions, Ababa endured a roller-coaster stint after 10 holes that featured four birdies against two bogeys and a double bogey. But the Mimosa Plus Championship winner faltered at the finish, bogeying No. 13 and finishing with a double-bogey-bogey skid to end up with a 76.

Depilo, on the other hand, made a quadruple bogey on the par-5 No. 10 after going out-of-bounds following a mishit from the bunker, leading to a 77.