BACOLOD – Guido van der Valk and Zanieboy Gialon battled back from seven strokes down with a pair of 66s while Tony Lascuña mounted his own fightback with a 68, forging a four-way tie with Frankie Miñoza heading to the final round of the ICTSI Negros Occidental Golf Classic presented by MORE Power on Friday.
Minozaactually threatened to blow the field away with birdies in the first two holes to stretch a three-shot overnight lead to five. But the tricky Marapara layout soon bit back and the former Asia No. 1 hobbled with four bogeys and a double bogey against one more birdie for a 73.
That enabled Van der Valk, Gialon and Lascuña to catch Miñoza at 210 with Jay Bayron and Rupert Zaragosa, who matched 71s, and Albin Engino, who carded a second straight 72, lurking just two shots back at 212.
Jhonnel Ababa closed in at 213 despite a 7; and Clyde Mondilla likewise stayed within striking distance at 214 after a 72 marred by three bogeys in the last six holes.
“You really have to play extra cautious here because it’s tough, especially with the wind,” said Minoza, who fought back from miscues on Nos. 3 and 5 and a double bogey on No. 11 with a birdie on the 13th to regain control.
But he stumbled with bogeys on Nos. 15 and 17, and Van der Valk and Lascuña pounced ion those miscues to earn clear shots at the crown worth P405,000 in this kickoff leg of this year’s Philippine Golf Tour put up by ICTSI.
Lascuña, winner of the inaugural Match Play Invitational at Villamor last year, also brimmed with confidence after rebounding from a bogey on No. 4 with three birdies for a 68 that put him back in the title hunt.
“It’s all about ball control. I think it will go down to a backside battle. Iron play and putting will play a big role, as well as stamina,” said the many-time PGT Order of Merit champion.
Like Lascuña, Miñoza feels a closing two-under card under such tough conditions would be enough to merit a championship. And while Gialon would opt for conservative play to fuel his title drive at the tight layout, Van der Valk said: “You have to play this course aggressively, given its conditions.”
The Manila-based Dutchman did go on an attack mode after a three-putt miscue on the first hole, shooting three birdies then spiking his big fightback from way back with an eagle on the reachable par-4 No. 12.
Miñoza, who edged Miguel Tabuena in sudden death to annex his last career win in 2016 here, won’t be in the featured threesome as he joins Bayron and Zaragosa instead in the second-to-last group at 7:50 a.m.
That leaves Lascuña, Van der Valk and Gialon to fight it out in an expected shootout and a battle of wits and poise at 8 a.m.
“The course is short but difficult. You also have to be precise on your shots to avoid getting into trouble,” said Van der Valk, on course for another title romp after winning two legs last year and dominating The Country Club Invitational last month.
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