LIPA CITY, Batangas – Justin Quiban wasted no time announcing his Philippine Golf Tour comeback, braving blustery conditions while taking full advantage of a softened Summit Point layout to fire a seven-under 65 and grab a one-stroke lead over Angelo Que after Tuesday’s opening round of the ICTSI Summit Point Championship.
Quiban combined solid driving with steady course management to emerge at the forefront on a day of high scoring, birdieing two of his first three holes and six of his last 10, including a three-birdie binge from Nos. 13 and another birdie on the 18th that capped a 31 on the back nine.
READ Carl Corpus sharpens game for Asiad bid at PGT's Summit Point leg
“I just had to make sure I was driving it well enough to keep myself in the fairway because, if it’s in the fairway, and given that it’s wet and we’re playing under winter rules, we get to fix our lies. But if you’re in the rough with mud balls, it’s so hard to hit the greens,” said Quiban, emphasizing the importance of distance control in such demanding conditions.
“The strategy was to keep it in play and keep it in the fairway so I could get aggressive on my second shots, which I somehow did. I hit it pretty close and made a couple of putts out there to end up shooting a 65,” added Quiban.
The performance continued the momentum of his impressive start to the season. Quiban won the opening leg at Lakewood last March, coming from behind and clinching the title with a dramatic eagle on the final hole. He resumed his campaign overseas, seeking more experience and opportunities to sharpen his game – work that showed in full measure in his first 18 holes at Summit Point.
Yet Que, a proven winner and one of the tour’s most experienced campaigners, refused to let Quiban pull away.
Que matched the pace with a near-flawless 66, making the most of Summit Point’s more receptive conditions and particularly attacking the back nine, where he put together a solid 32 highlighted by an eagle on the par-5 14th.
Aidric Chan, Jhonnel Ababa and Jeffren Lumbo also made strong starts, carding 68s to stay within three shots of the lead. Jerson Balasabas, Gabriel Manotoc and Mars Pucay followed with similar 69s as the P2.5-million championship immediately lived up to its billing as a highly charged battle for control.
In all, 25 players broke par, underscoring how the softened course invited an aggressive approach despite the persistent wind that tested club selection, ball flight and distance control throughout the day.
“While it may look that way, it still depends on the players. If you hit it bad, wala rin,” said Que.
A large group shared ninth place at 70, including Asian Games-bound Carl Corpus, Tony Lascuña, Reymon Jaraula, Nilo Salahog, Russell Bautista, Michael Bibat, Marvin Dumandan, Japanese Ryoto Furuya, Randy Garalde and amateur Miguel Ilas.
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