Go, Villanueva share lead at TCC after 69s
Lloyd Go used a blistering finish and Dino Villanueva a hot start on Tuesday to carve out three-under-par 69s and share the opening round lead in the P6 million The Country Club Invitational, where the history-seeking Angelo Que left himself in decent shape by being just four shots off.
Go, who made the weekend play in the Smart Infinity Philippine Open at Manila Southwoods last week, birdied three of the last five holes amidst howling gusts at the TCC layout Sta. Rosa, Laguna, while Villanueva had all of his five birdies in the front nine as the duo opens the second round ahead by a shot over former champion Clyde Mondilla.
“I hit it really well, getting ideal numbers [yardages] for my swing,” Go, who spent majority of last year playing in China, said. “I knew the lead was three under, but I didn’t mind it because anything can happen on this course.”
Que, who is trying to become the first man to win this event four times, had five bogeys and four birdies in signing for a 73, even as defending champion Antonio Lascuña shot himself in the foot with an opening 77 after a front nine 40 marred by an uncharacteristic double bogey 6 on No. 9.
Aidric Chan, who finished in the top eight of the Open, fired a 71 to be just two shots back like South Korea’s Gwon Min-wook as the windswept layout yielded only five sub-par scores.
Gwon had the lead to himself as he was working on a four-under card heading to the 15th only to finish with three straight bogeys.
