Justin Quiban emerged as the leader after a fierce pursuit of birdies on the front nine following a brief rain delay, surging ahead of Reymon Jaraula and Jhonnel Ababa, securing a one-stroke lead with a second-round score of 67 at the ICTSI Del Monte Championship in Bukidnon on Wednesday.
Clyde Mondilla, the first-round leader who had a spectacular performance with two eagles and six birdies but struggled with his putter, ended up with a 72. This performance dropped him to solo fourth at 136. Rupert Zaragosa also settled for an even-par round, placing him fifth at 137.
Quiban, maintaining his game plan, recorded another five-under card, bringing his total score to 10-under 134. He commented, “It’s pretty much the same. I was just trying to stick to my strategies. It’s a tight course so I need to hit the fairways and try to capitalize on the par-5s.”
In the second round, he birdied all but one of the four long holes, including the last on No. 9, which propelled him past Jaraula and Ababa, who also had impressive frontside performances. Jaraula shot a 65, and Ababa had a 69.
Mondilla expressed disappointment with his putting, which led to missed opportunities and a 72. He fell to solo fourth at 136, ruing his errant drive and missed four-footer for par on Nos. 16 and 1.
Art Arbole fired a 68, moving up to joint sixth at 139 with Nilo Salahog, who struggled with a 73. Ferdie Aunzo shot a 68 for a 141, joining Zanieboy Gialon, who carded a 69, and Ira Alido, who shot a 70, at eighth place.
With only three strokes separating the top five players, the rest of the field might be too far behind to pose a threat in the tournament’s remaining 36 holes.
Quiban, a two-time winner on the PGT and PGT Asia, emphasized his goal of scoring 5-under each day and making birdies on the par-3s and par-4s. He credited his strong performance to his recent experience in the Asian Development Tour in Vietnam.
Jaraula and Ababa, focusing on their putting and powerful swings, remained determined to contend for the championship. Jaraula had a remarkable pitch-in eagle from 143 yards on the par-4 No. 5 and picked up another stroke on the par-5 next hole before the game was briefly halted due to heavy rains.
Ababa acknowledged the need to refine his swing for better results. “Medyo malikot ang palo ko kaya kailangan magpa-kondisyon ng husto para gumanda uli (ang palo),” said the multi-titled Ababa.
