Mondilla outshines 2 aces, nails ICTSI Southwoods crown

CLYDE MONDILLA upstaged Miguel Tabuena and Tony Lascuña in another weather- delayed final round shootout among the country’s ace shotmakers, coming through with a brilliant backside charge for a 66 to pull off a one- stroke victory in the $ 60,000 ICTSI Manila Southwoods Championships in Carmona, Cavite on Saturday.

Relegated to the background early as Lascuña outgunned Tabuena in the frontside of the Legends course to overhaul a three-stroke deficit and go 1-up in a duel of heavyweights, Mondilla battled back from two shots down with a nearimpeccable closing 33 then watched his rivals crack under pressure and flub birdie chances at the finish to complete a steal of a win on a 22-under 266 total.

Not even a missed green bogey on the par-3 16th could shake off the 24-year-old Mondilla, who cashed in on a crucial twoshot swing on No. 12 (birdie-bogey) to grab a one-stroke lead over Lascuña and went 2up on Tabuena and three ahead of Lascuña with back-to-back birdies from No. 14.

“I’m so happy to beat our top two players but I learned a lot from them,” said Mondilla, who cashed in on his length off the tee and sneaked into the lead with four birdies in a five-hole stretch from No. 11, turning a two-stroke deficit into a two-shot edge. He preserved a one-stroke lead after that late bogey mishap with clutch pars to wrap up the crown, worth $10,500, put up by ICTSI.

Tabuena birdied No. 14 to move within one while Lascuña drilled in an eightfooter on the 17th to join the former at second, one adrift of Mondilla. But the duo missed a pair of birdie chances on the 72nd hole from just about the same distance – 9 feet – and missed forcing a playoff, enabling Mondilla to clinch the victory with a routine par.

Lascuña ended up with a 67 while Tabuena, who took a three-stroke lead on back-to-back birdies from No. 17 at the completion of his third round play early Saturday, slowed down with a 70 for 267s. They split the combined $11,100 prizes.

Trailing majority of the way, Mondilla later said the key was his monstrous drive on the par-4 11th that left him with a 40yard pitch for an eagle that lipped out.

“I knew then that I could beat them with my power but it also helped that both of them missed a couple of birdie putts in the closing holes,” added Mondilla, who racked up three victories last year to finish behind Lascuña in the Order of Merit derby.

That tap-in birdie sparked a run of the same for the Del Monte ace who buried a four-footer on No. 12 and knocked down back-to-back feats inside seven feet from Nos. 14 to surge ahead.

Long-hitting Orlan Sumcad rallied with a 65 to snatch fourth place at 270 while Elmer Salvador placed fifth at 271 after 68 followed by Zanieboy Gialon, who fired a 67, for a 272, and Mhark Fernando and Macedonian Peter Stojanovski carded identical 70s to share seventh place at 273.

American Nicolas Paez and Justin Quiban finished tied at ninth with 274s after a 70 and 66, respectively, in the event organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. and backed by backed by ICTSI, BDO, KZG, Custom Clubmakers, Meralco, Sharp, Champion, Summit Mineral Water and PLDT.