Go, Lee lead ICTSI Pinewoods openers

BAGUIO CITY — Lloyd Go arrived from Bangkok the night before and still found a way to master a course he had never played.

Go fired a flawless, two-eagle eight-under 64 on Tuesday to seize a commanding three-shot lead over Jeffren Lumbo at the start of the ICTSI Pinewoods Challenge at Pinewoods Golf and Country Club.

The event marks Pinewoods’ debut as a Philippine Golf Tour host venue, with the Baguio layout immediately testing the field through narrow landing areas, sidehill fairways, severe elevation changes, hazards, difficult pin placements, glass-like greens, and repeated fog delays.

The ICTSI Pinewoods Challenge is listed by the Philippine Golf Tour as a June 30–July 3, 2026 event at Pinewoods Golf and Country Club.

Go, a Cebuano ace and one of the Tour’s expected contenders, delivered one of the finest opening rounds of the PGT season despite having no practice round on the mountain layout.

“I just came from Bangkok last night and it was my first time to play the course today, so I was really more conservative with my round,” said Go.

That conservative plan produced birdies on Nos. 3 and 7 before Go eagled the par-5 10th.

After another lengthy fog interruption, Go birdied No. 14, chipped in for his second eagle on the par-4 17th, and closed with another birdie on No. 18.

“I was just lucky that every time I hit a bad shot, it would end up on the correct spot, always uphill,” he said.

On Pinewoods’ slick greens, Go said positioning was critical.

“The main challenge here is to avoid the hazards and OBs and keep the ball in the fairway,” explained Go, still in search of a second PGT crown after scoring a breakthrough at Palos Verdes in 2024. “More importantly, always leave yourself uphill wherever the pins are because if you don’t and leave yourself a downhill putt or chip, it’s very hard.”

Go also credited his putting for separating him from the field.

“I putted really well. I think that’s the biggest key. I didn’t miss a single putt the whole round,” he said, referring to the confidence he had over virtually every makeable opportunity.

Lumbo finished solo second with a 67 after rallying on the back nine.

After trading two birdies with two bogeys on the front nine, Lumbo birdied five of his last nine holes to remain within striking distance.

“Maganda lahat sa backnine – tee-shot, wedge, at putting kaya nag click ang laro ko ngayon (Everything came together for me on the back nine – my tee shots, wedge game and putting),” said Lumbo, whose late charge vaulted him into early contention for a second Tour title.

“Mahirap ang course, sa liit ng mga greens at bilis nito, kailangan pwesto-pwesto lang (It’s a very challenging course. The greens are small and fast, so you really have to be smart about your positioning),” added Lumbo, who broke through for his maiden PGT title after outlasting Russell Bautista in a five-hole playoff at South Pacific last year.

Clyde Mondilla produced the tournament’s most spectacular shot, holing out for a rare albatross — a two on No. 10 — on the way to a 69.

Mondilla shared third place with Collin Wheeler.

“I played it conservatively, hitting a 4-iron off the tee, then a 7-iron from 200 yards, and it went in,” said the multi-titled Mondilla, referring to his first career albatross.

Mondilla moved to five-under with back-to-back birdies from No. 13 but gave back two shots with bogeys on the final two holes after errant tee shots.

Fidel Concepcion and Lee Song matched 70s to tie for fifth.

Zanieboy Gialon birdied three holes on the back nine but offset his charge with two bogeys for a 71.

Gialon joined Rico Depilo, Yoshizawa Ichiru, and Rupert Zaragosa in a four-way tie for seventh.

Go’s 64 stood out on the par-35-37 layout, where Pinewoods rewarded patience and precision more than power.

The opening round also punished several pre-event favorites.

Tony Lascuña, who won Monday’s pro-am, carded four bogeys over the opening nine holes before recovering with two birdies on the back nine for a 74.

Lascuña ended the day tied for 21st.

Angelo Que, who edged Lascuña by one stroke at Caliraya Springs, struggled to a 77 despite a pitch-in eagle on No. 17.

Que’s round included three double bogeys and four bogeys against three birdies, leaving him tied for 41st.

Keanu Jahns, a three-leg winner last season, stumbled to an 80 with four double bogeys and two bogeys against two birdies.

Jahns dropped to 62nd and is in danger of missing the Top 40 and ties cut.

In the women’s division, 17-year-old Tiffany Lee endured the same shifting fog and difficult conditions to take the first-round lead in the ICTSI Pinewoods Challenge.

Lee closed with a three-under 69 to build a two-shot cushion over Chanelle Avaricio after 18 holes of the 54-hole, PHP 1 million championship.

The Ladies Philippine Golf Tour field at Pinewoods includes Lee, Avaricio, Mafy Singson, Daniella Uy, Princess Superal, Sarah Ababa, Harmie Constantino, Yvon Bisera, Chihiro Ikeda, and Seoyun Kim, according to pre-tournament reports.

“It’s a very tough course, honestly. You need a lot of accuracy and a good short game,” said Lee, summing up a day where precision mattered as much as patience – especially with fog delays breaking rhythm and testing focus throughout the field.

Lee opened with a roller-coaster front nine, mixing four birdies with two bogeys and a double bogey.

She then surged late with a four-birdie burst starting on No. 14 to turn a crowded leaderboard into a clearer early advantage.

“I was focusing on hitting more confidently, especially on narrow fairways and small openings into the greens,” she said. “I tried to commit fully to my shots so I could execute properly.”

A closing bogey prevented Lee from stretching the lead further, but she still walked off with the outright advantage.

“The greens are hard and fast, very difficult to control,” added Lee. “I just had to work through it the best I could.”

Avaricio opened with an eagle-aided 32 and briefly threatened to take command.

She faltered on the back nine with three bogeys against one birdie for a 71.

“My tee shots were pretty good, but I struggled around the greens and my putting was a little off,” said Avaricio, who admitted the course setup and slick surfaces punished small errors. “I need to do better on my putting.”

Avaricio said notes from Monday’s pro-am helped her manage the course, though her late stumble proved costly.

“I was able to read some notes from the pro-am – it helped a lot,” she added.

Mafy Singson stayed in contention for much of the round before bogeys on Nos. 16 and 18 left her with a 72.

Monica Mandario endured one of the day’s sharpest reversals after racing to a four-under start that included an eagle on No. 14.

Mandario later fell back with multiple bogeys and a double bogey on the back nine to finish with a 73.

Harmie Constantino, the Caliraya Springs standout, shared fourth place and remained within striking distance despite the unstable conditions.

Daniella Uy, Gretchen Villacencio, and Seoyun Kim matched 74s.

Princess Superal slipped to a 75.

Yvon Bisera posted a 76 alongside Chihiro Ikeda in a congested chase pack.

With Pinewoods making its first PGT and LPGT appearance, the opening round underscored why players viewed the Baguio course as one of the season’s most exacting tests.

Go and Lee handled that test best on Tuesday, turning fog, fast greens, and tight corridors into early separation.