Go, Villanueva Forge Ahead as Winds Test TCC Invit’l Field

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STA. ROSA, Laguna – Lloyd Go birdied three of the last five holes in blustery conditions, rallying to catch Dino Villanueva at the top with a three-under 69 in the opening round of The Country Club Invitational 2025 at the TCC course here on Tuesday.

Clyde Mondilla, despite a solid effort, lamented missed opportunities on the long holes, settling for a 70 and solo third, while Aidric Chan and Gwon Minwook carded 71s to share fourth place, keeping the leaderboard tight in the P6 million championship, the flagship tournament of each Philippine Golf Tour season.

Coming off a breakthrough victory at PGT Palos Verdes last year, Go opened his 2025 campaign in impressive fashion. Despite being in the final morning flight when the winds started to pick up, he struck his irons well and submitted his best-ever score at the notoriously demanding TCC layout.

“I hit it really good, the numbers were ideal for my full swings,” said Go, who remained focused on his game plan rather than the leaderboard. “I knew the lead was three under, but I didn’t mind it because anything can happen on this course.”

Earlier, Villanueva dominated the front nine with a scorching five-under 31, which provided enough cushion against a late slip that saw him drop strokes on Nos. 13 and 14.

Taking advantage of an early start, he caught fire with four consecutive birdies from No. 2, immediately seizing the spotlight in the 20th staging of the annual event held in honor of ICTSI founder Don Pocholo Razon.

A highlight of his stellar front nine came at No. 4, where he left himself a 135-yard approach and struck a precision pitching wedge to within a foot for birdie.

“It was a good start, but I didn’t really mind the score. I just focused on my game – the strategy is to play one shot at a time,” said Villanueva, who remains in search of a breakthrough professional victory.

Even after back-to-back bogeys on Nos. 13 and 14, he remained upbeat: “That’s okay,” he said with a smile. “I’ll play with the same approach in the next round.”

Mondilla, the 2019 Philippine Open champion here, also played a superb round, recording five birdies against three bogeys. However, he rued his inability to capitalize on the par-5s despite consistently putting himself within striking distance.

“I just couldn’t put myself in the right places,” said Mondilla. “It could be tougher in the next three days.”

Korean Gwon Minwook briefly surged to the top of the leaderboard after a birdie on No. 14 pushed him to four-under, coinciding with Villanueva’s struggles on the same hole. However, as the winds strengthened, he struggled to hold on.

“It was very calm early on, and it wasn’t too difficult to play,” said Gwon. “Then it started to get windy, and hitting into the greens became very difficult – even after playing driver.”

Three-time TCC Invitational champion Angelo Que posted a one-over 73 after a rollercoaster back nine that saw him mix three birdies with four bogeys. He finished the day tied for sixth with Ryan Monsalve and Nilo Salahog.

Jhonnel Ababa, Jay Bayron, Keanu Jahns, Reymon Jaraula and Japanese player Saiya Suzuki all signed for 74s, keeping them within reach of the leaders.

Defending champion Tony Lascuña continued to battle a left arm injury, struggling to a 77. His round was marred by a costly double-bogey on the par-4 No. 9, further hampering his title defense.

“I won’t feel too bad shooting five-over on this very difficult course,” said the five-time PGT Order of Merit winner. “Even with this condition, I’m okay with my score.”