CABANATUAN CITY – Hyun Ho Rho birdied two of the last three holes, firing a six-under-par 66 to grab a one-stroke lead at the start of the ICTSI Lakewood Championship on Tuesday.
The strong finish lifted him past Johnnel Ababa and Japan's Ozeki Kakeru, who each shot 67, while six others were two strokes back, including the resilient Tony Lascuna, at 53 the oldest player in the field but who also had a heyday at the relatively short layout where birdies were easy pickings.
Rho had seven birdies in all, but had a bogey; Ababa had eight and 3 bogeys while Kakeru highlighted his round with two eagles to accompany four birdies, a bogey and a double bogey at the 6,687-yard course which the local tour is playing for the first time.
Rho-lling along
“I wasn’t driving straight, but I hit my irons pretty close to the pin. My chipping and putting were also good,” said Rho, 19, whose potential came into focus at the recent Philippine Masters where he placed second to Angelo Que.
The 2023 PGT Q-School topnotcher went on a scoring spree right from the first shot, birdying the first hole, dominating Nos. 3 and 4, then picking up more strokes on the sixth and eighth for a 32.
A pulled tee-shot on the par-3 11th led to his lone bogey on a hot but windless day. However, he set up a five-foot birdie putt on the 16th and rolled in a 12-footer on the closing par-5 hole to wrest control in the P2.5 million tournament sponsored by ICTSI.
“I think it’s going to be the same thing tomorrow. The course is very wide, and there are good scoring opportunities despite the tricky greens,” Rho said.
Ababa had the clubhouse lead before Rho, four flights behind, came charging in. He was naturally happy with his round.
“Maganda lahat (Everything is good) – off the tee to the green,” said Ababa, who said the birdie avalanche maybe because the course was short by their standards.
He birdied four of the first six holes inside six feet for a frontside 32 and added three more from the 13th.
“Bumalik na din yung kumpiyansa ko at super ganda lahat – driving, irons at putting (My confidence has also returned and everything is great),” added Ababa, whose game had been on a somewhat downhill trend following a playoff victory over Guido van der Valk in the Apo Golf Classic. He struggled to find his form at Palos Verdes, where he tied for 25th, and failed to contend at Caliraya Springs and the Philippine Masters.
“’Pag ganun pa din ang laro ko sa next three days, malaki ang chance (If my game continues like that in the next three days, there’s a good chance),” added the reigning Order of Merit winner.
Kakeru joins birdie binge
The unheralded Kakeru, meanwhile, will be trying to spoil the party as he eagled the fifth and 18th holes to keep Ababa company. A bogey on the 15th and a double bogey on No. 17, were the two blemishes on his card.
Lascuña had two late birdies to shoot a 69, joining five others at fourth, including Ferdie Aunzo, Russell Bautista, Jay Bayron, Rupert Zaragosa and Gabriel Manotoc.
Five others posted 70 scores, including Art Arbole, Albin Engino, Jonas Magcalayo, Daiya Suzuki and Sean Ramos, while Randy Garalde, Nelson Huerva and Arnold Villacencio matched 71.
A total of 17 players broke par in a field of 60 while five were able to score even par 72.
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