Constantino, Corpus set Pradera pace

LUBAO, Pampanga — Harmie Constantino unleashed another trademark finishing kick, birdieing four of her last seven holes to fire a 3-under 69 and force a tie with steady Yvon Bisera at the start of the ICTSI Pradera Verde Championship on Tuesday.

Constantino appeared headed for another slow start after bogeys on Nos. 3 and 6 erased an opening-hole birdie, but the Caliraya Springs champion caught fire on the back nine.

She birdied Nos. 12 and 13 before closing with another back-to-back birdie run from No. 16 for a 32 to catch Bisera at the top.

Bisera put together the steadiest round on a hot, humid day, snapping a run of pars with birdies on Nos. 9, 11, and 14 before settling for a 35-34 card and a share of the lead.

Chihiro Ikeda stood one stroke behind at 70 after producing a late charge, birdieing two of her last five holes to stay within striking distance heading into the second round.

Pinewoods leg champion Chanelle Avaricio also remained firmly in contention despite an early stumble.

After a bogey on No. 6, Avaricio responded with birdies on Nos. 13 and 18 to save a 71 and keep her bid for back-to-back titles alive in the PHP 750,000 fourth leg of the Ladies Philippine Golf Tour.

“I didn’t really hit a lot of greens on the front nine, but I made up for it with birdies on the back,” said Constantino, who birdied four of her last seven holes, all from inside 10 feet.

“I didn’t get off to a good start, so I wasn’t expecting to score well because I wasn’t making birdies in the opening holes,” she said after overcoming a sluggish start, the sweltering heat, and late-afternoon gusts.

“It was really hot throughout the day, although the wind picked up over the last couple of holes, which made the course a lot tougher,” added Constantino, who rallied in the final round to tie for second with Tiffany Lee at Pinewoods last week.

Despite the challenging conditions, Constantino stayed patient and capitalized on her opportunities down the stretch, putting herself in prime position heading into the final 36 holes.

Looking ahead to a second-round duel with Bisera, the multititled former Order of Merit champion said she intends to stick to a simple game plan.

“I’ll just enjoy my game, stay patient and try to hit as many fairways as I can,” said Constantino, who believes consistency off the tee will be key in the last two rounds.

Bisera, meanwhile, turned in a gutsy performance despite nursing a left-hand injury she sustained last week.

“I sprained my left hand last week. It’s getting better, but I still feel pain whenever I hit my irons,” she said in Filipino. “I just played steady and didn’t try to force anything.”

The injury hardly showed as Bisera relied on smart course management rather than power to remain in contention.

After finishing 10th at Pinewoods, Bisera admitted that courses with significant elevation changes do not suit her game, saying she feels much more comfortable on flatter layouts.

“The course reminds me a bit of South Pacific,” she said, referring to her home course in Davao. “I’m also quite familiar with the greens because I played here recently.”

Like Constantino, Bisera said she plans to remain patient and stick to her steady approach over the final two rounds.

“I’ll just keep playing steady and hopefully the pain goes away so I can drive the ball harder,” she added.

Ikeda credited her short game for keeping her in the title hunt despite arriving without a practice round.

“I didn’t get to play a practice round here, but my chipping and putting really clicked,” said the veteran campaigner, who is seeking to end a lengthy title drought. “It was extremely hot, but it was manageable. I just stayed focused on making solid shots.”

Sharp execution around the greens helped offset any unfamiliarity with the course, giving Ikeda confidence heading into the final two rounds.

Kristine Fleetwood and Martina Miñoza shared fifth place at 73, although they arrived there in contrasting fashion.

Fleetwood recovered with birdies on Nos. 12 and 16 after a shaky front nine, while Miñoza slipped from a promising position with back-to-back bogeys from No. 15.

Last year’s third-place finisher Daniella Uy also fought back after a disastrous stretch.

Four bogeys in Uy’s first six holes threatened to derail her campaign before birdies on Nos. 7 and 16 enabled her to salvage a 74 and remain within striking distance.

Tiffany Lee likewise recovered from an erratic round with consecutive birdies on Nos. 14 and 15 to card a 75 and join Princess Superal in a tie.

Superal struggled throughout, failing to make a birdie in a 37-38 effort.

Monica Mandario grabbed the early spotlight by scoring an ace on the 170-yard No. 2, using a 7-iron and a Titleist No. 2 ball, and bouncing back after an opening double bogey.

However, Mandario’s first career hole-in-one failed to ignite a spark as she stumbled with four consecutive bogeys immediately after and finished with a 77.

Corpus returns strong

Carl Corpus made an emphatic return to the Philippine Golf Tour, turning a late burst of birdies into a 5-under 67 to force a three-way tie for the lead with Zanieboy Gialon and Russell Bautista as the ICTSI Pradera Verde Championship erupted into a low-scoring shootout at Pradera Verde Golf and Country Club’s Arayat course Tuesday.

After last week’s demanding test at Pinewoods Golf Club, where the mountain layout forced players to temper their aggression, the tour found an entirely different challenge in Lubao.

The expansive, wide-open Arayat course encouraged players to unleash their drivers, and with the usually troublesome wind absent during the morning wave, players wasted little time attacking flags despite the sweltering conditions.

The result was a string of under-par rounds, with power hitters and shot-makers taking full advantage of receptive scoring conditions in the fourth leg of the 10-stage circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc.

Corpus appeared headed for an ordinary start after a birdie-bogey opening from No. 1.

But a birdie on No. 7 sparked a remarkable turnaround as Corpus caught fire with six birdies over a seven-hole stretch, spiked by a five-birdie spree from No. 9, transforming an even-par round into one of the tournament’s three best opening efforts.

“I don’t think I did anything differently. The putts just dropped, and I’m fortunate they did,” said Corpus, who struggled to a joint 37th-place finish at Caliraya Springs before skipping the Pinewoods leg.

Corpus later admitted he initially underestimated the course’s scoring potential.

“At first, I didn’t think the course was scoreable, but after today, I realized that if you stay patient and make your putts, you can definitely score here,” he said.

He also praised the course conditions, particularly the greens.

“The greens are in excellent shape, and I hit my approach shots close,” said Corpus, whose five straight birdies came from an average distance of 12 feet. “I haven’t putted on greens this good in a while, so I was excited to be out there.”

With an early three-way battle unfolding, Corpus said he would not change his approach over the next three rounds.

“The game plan stays the same – be patient, enjoy my game, and give my best on every shot. If the putts drop, they drop,” he said.

Gialon, a former Pradera Verde club pro, appeared poised to match, or even surpass, Corpus after recovering spectacularly from two bogeys in his first five holes with a blistering stretch of seven birdies over the next 10.

Leveraging his familiarity with the Mike Singgaran-designed layout, Gialon carved up the course with precision and confidence.

“Yes, being familiar with the course definitely helped. I also have an advantage because I get to play here almost every day,” said Gialon in Filipino.

Gialon endured a shaky start but quickly recovered, drawing on his local knowledge to ignite a strong comeback.

“Even after the two bogeys, I stayed focused. When I birdied No. 6, it gave me confidence, and the birdies just kept coming,” said Gialon.

With calm conditions and receptive scoring opportunities, Gialon said the course rewarded aggressive but calculated play.

“There wasn’t much wind, so the scoring was pretty good, and the par-5s were reachable. I just hope my putting stays sharp, especially my green reading and distance control,” he added.

Bautista launched his campaign with a blazing back-nine start, carding four birdies, including three straight to close his opening nine.

A bogey on the par-3 No. 2 briefly slowed Bautista’s momentum, but he bounced back with a gutsy par save on the par-5 next after a mishit 3-wood on his second shot found the water.

Bautista recovered brilliantly, knocking his approach to within pin-high range before converting the par, then birdied Nos. 4 and 6 to join Corpus and Gialon at the top.

“It was hot and there was no wind, so staying hydrated was very important to keep my condition up. You also have to be careful on the par-3s because they can be very demanding,” said Bautista in Filipino, who narrowly missed his maiden Philippine Golf Tour title after falling to Jeffren Lumbo in a marathon five-hole playoff at South Pacific last year.

Big-hitting Keanu Jahns and Tony Lascuña lurked one stroke off the pace at 68.

Jahns charged back with four birdies in the last seven holes, while Lascuña missed a chance to force a five-way tie after a late miscue on No. 16.

A formidable group of five players, including defending champion Angelo Que, Gab Manotoc, Collin Wheeler, Kuresh Samanodi, and Lumbo, matched 69s.

Clyde Mondilla and Rupert Zaragosa posted identical 70s, keeping the leaderboard tightly packed heading into the second round of the PHP 2 million championship.

With the forecast still calling for hot weather and little wind, another day of aggressive scoring could be in store before the course begins to firm up and separate the contenders from the rest of the field.

Lloyd Go, the runaway winner at Pinewoods, birdied two of his first 13 holes but faltered down the stretch, dropping shots on Nos. 15 and 17 to settle for a 72 and a share of 19th place.

Go was unable to recapture the form that fueled his blazing start in Baguio, where he opened with a 64 and cruised to a commanding 12-shot victory over Lumbo.