KOREAN Hyun Ho Rho made a dramatic return to the top of the ICTSI Villamor Philippine Masters leaderboard with a stunning 68 in the roller-coaster third round in Pasay City on Friday.
Rho’s resurgence, highlighted by a tap-in eagle on No. 18, brought him back in control at 210 in the fiercely contested P2 million championship that saw the lead changed hands frequently over the final nine holes at the Villamor Golf Club.
Ryan Monsalve, the halfway leader, appeared ready to defend his lead, showing resilience against a strong field that included seasoned pro Angelo Que. However, a costly three-bogey stretch starting at the 14th hole derailed his momentum, leading to a chaotic scramble for the top spot.
Under the blazing sun, Rho emerged as the frontrunner at six-under overall, thanks to a thrilling birdie-eagle finish. He now holds a one-stroke advantage over Que, who closed with a birdie for a 70, putting him at 211. This sets the stage for a nail-biting final round battle for the P345,000 top prize.
“My tee shots today were really straight, and I putted the ball quite well. I made a few bogeys on the back nine, but I managed to finish strong,” Rho said.
On the final hole, he hit a drive to the right, but the ball struck a tree and bounced back into the middle of the fairway. From 256 yards out, Rho executed a high draw with a 3-wood, landing the ball within two feet of the hole.
Rho-lling along
Looking ahead to the final 18 holes and his pursuit of a first championship, the 2022 PGT Q-School topnotcher hinted at a more conservative approach.
“As much as I like to play aggressively, I’m just going to enjoy the moment. Regardless of the outcome, I’ll accept it, but I’ll give my best and enjoy the game,” said the 19-year-old Rho.
He initially surged to the top with a hole-in-one fueled 67 on Wednesday, only to stumble with a 75 in the second round.
Que, who had matched Monsalve’s two-under card after eight holes, slipped from the lead with errors on Nos. 9 and 11. But he rallied with birdies on two of the last six holes, including the 18th, to save a two-under card, putting him just one stroke behind the Korean.
Lloyd Go, initially four strokes behind Monsalve, stumbled with an early bogey on the third hole but roared back with five birdies to card a 68, tying him for third at 212 with Daiya Suzuki, who matched the day’s best four-under par round.
Go, aiming for a second championship after a breakthrough at Palos Verdes last March, said: “The course is deceptively difficult. It’s a constant balancing act and I find it hard to judge. I feel like I could shoot 8-under or 8-over. However, I’ve been steadily making progress."
Monsalve still in the hunt
Meanwhile, Suzuki, a Tour qualifier, is determined to leverage his putting skills to upstage his more favored rivals. He aims to build on his tied for 15th place finish at Apo last March and is keen on improving his game.
Despite faltering late in his round and finishing with a 73, Monsalve remains a serious contender at 213, just three strokes behind Rho. On a course as challenging as Villamor, this deficit is far from insurmountable.
Aidric Chan and Sean Ramos, both firing 70s, are hot on the leaders’ heels at 214 in joint sixth, while amateur Jeffren Lumbo dazzled with a 68, securing solo eighth at 214.
Meanwhile, Rupert Zaragosa rallied with a 69 to tie Tony Lascuña, who slipped with a 73, at 216.
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