GEN. TRIAS, Cavite – Pint-sized Joenard Rates sizzled at the finish to upstage the Philippine Golf Tour’s big guns reminiscent of his exploits the last time out, coming away with an eagle-spiked 69 to drive past Michael Bibat for a one-stroke lead in the first round of the ICTSI Eagle Ridge Challenge at the Aoki course here yesterday.
Rates birdied three of the last five holes at the front to jump from the middle of the pack and into the lead, spiking his 33-36 card with a pitch-in eagle from 150 yards on the par-5 11th and capping with a tap-in birdie on the ninth.
He said he didn’t expect to lead the way he did in the first of two ICTSI Riviera championships that marked PGT’s return after an eight-month break due to pandemic last November but maintained he came into the P2 million event ready and in good form behind a series of practice and workouts.
As the fancied bets, including Riviera leg winners Tony Lascuña and Ira Alido, and former Philippine Open champions Miguel Tabuena, Angelo Que and Clyde Mondilla, floundered in challenging conditions, Paul Echavez, Zanieboy Gialon, Nilo Salahog and Manila-based American Lexus Keoninh all matched par 72s to take the early challengers’ role.
Tabuena, who failed to figure in the title chase at Riviera, barely overcame a double-bogey start with a roller-coaster finish of three birdies against two bogeys in the last seven holes at the back, but his 73 still put him within striking distance at joint eighth with Marvin Dumandan.
Alido, who marked his first pro victory with a whopping nine-shot romp at Riviera Championship, blew a one-under card with a bogey-double-bogey finish at the back as he dropped to joint 10th at 74 with Anthony Fernando, Gerald Rosales and Reymon Jaraula.
Meanwhile, Princess Superal endured a wobbly frontside windup in tough conditions, scrambling for an even-par 72 and a one-stroke lead over a hot-finishing rookie Harmie Constantino at the start of their own event.
Looking good with a four-birdie, two-bogey backside start in intermittent drizzle, Superal kept a two-under card with a birdie on No. 5 that negated a bogey mishap on No. 1. But she nearly lost her grip of the lead with back-to-back bogeys from No. 6 in windy conditions as Constantino blazed home with back-to-back birdies to salvage a 73.
