CABANATUAN City – Justin Quiban strengthened his hold on the ICTSI Lakewood Championship, turning the P3 million event into a potential personal showcase with an eagle-aided 68 as he extended his lead to five strokes over Ryan Monsalve through 36 holes on Wednesday.
Though he cooled off from his blistering, record-setting 62 on Tuesday, Quiban’s steady 33-35 round on another scorching day proved more than enough to widen the gap between him and the rest of the elite field.
Monsalve finishes strong
Monsalve, however, mounted a strong charge in one of the later groups, carding a 67 he also highlighted by an eagle to climb to solo second. Still, Quiban’s 36-hole aggregate of 14-under 130 gave him firm control, with Monsalve trailing at 135.
Korean Taewon Ha also impressed with a 67 to move into third at 136.
“I felt I hit the driver just as well. If anything, I just wasn’t holing as many putts as I did yesterday. But I was hitting my lines – it’s just how it goes sometimes,” said Quiban.
“I’m focused on what I need to do. The plan is to stay in the present and stay locked in, and I think I’ve been doing a pretty good job of that,” he added.
Despite trailing by five, Monsalve remains optimistic about his chances of a breakthrough.
“I hit my drives better yesterday (Tuesday), but I was able to manage my misses today (Wednesday),” said Monsalve, whose round featured just two bogeys after a first round that included two bogeys and a double bogey.
Rupert Zaragosa surged into contention with a 66 after a 71, climbing to solo fourth at 137. Lloyd Go and Keanu Jahns also made their moves with identical 68s to share fifth.
Rico Depilo fired a 67, while Jeffren Lumbo shot a 70 as they joined erstwhile runner-up Miki Ryoma at seventh with 139. Ryoma stumbled with a 73 after an opening 66.
Defending champion Sean Ramos, meanwhile, faltered after a first-round 68, limping home with a 72. He dropped to a tie for 10th at 140 alongside Dino Villanueva, Fidel Concepcion and Russell Bautista.
A total of 43 players advanced to the final two rounds of this kickoff leg of the Philippine Golf Tour season, with Gerald Rosales (72), Paul Echavez (73), Mars Pucay (74), Tae Won Kim (75) and Brycen Ko (79) posting identical 148s to make the cut.
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