Que fends off fierce winds to stay ahead at ICTSI Pradera field

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LUBAO, Pampanga – Angelo Que battled fierce winds that swept through the ICTSI Pradera Verde Championship at the Pinatubo course here on Tuesday, grinding out a 71 to preserve his three-stroke lead over Carl Corpus and Keanu Jahns midway through the P2.5 million tournament.

Despite a scorching start at the back nine, Que faced stiff mid-morning gusts, battling through back-to-back bogeys at No. 1 to save a 39-32 and hold onto to the lead with a five-under 139 aggregate.

The three-time Asian Tour winner extended his overnight lead to five or six early in the round, riding on a three-birdie spree on Nos. 10, 16 and 17. However, as the wind intensified, the course became increasingly difficult, forcing Que to scramble through a tough frontside finish.

He bogeyed Nos. 1 and 2 but regained his composure with a steady run of pars to stay at the helm of the kickoff leg of the 10-stage circuit put up by ICTSI and organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.

“It was really windy, much stronger than the first round, and the pin positions were a lot tougher,” said Que, winner of the Philippine Masters last year.

“Unfortunately, I stumbled with bogeys on the first two holes of the front nine. We had a long wait, but that’s no excuse – I just mishit a chip on the first hole and missed a short putt on the next. But under-par is still a good score,” he added.

The blustery conditions enabled challengers to close the gap, though Corpus and Jahns managed only matching one-under 71s for the second consecutive day, settling at 142 for a share of second place.

Corpus, who placed runner-up in last week’s Philippine Golf Tour Q-School, handled the swirling winds well, recovering from an early bogey and double bogey with three birdies and an eagle before a late stumble.

Jahns also stayed in contention, grinding out a four-birdie, three-bogey round to remain on track of another victory after dominating the Forest Hills leg last year.
Aidric Chan also turned in a 71 to force a tie at fourth at 146 with former Q-School topnotcher Toru Nakajima (74) and this year’s low medalist Jaehyun Jung (75) with Guido van der Valk (73) closely behind at 147.

Clyde Mondilla rebounded from a 78 with a 71, spiked by two birdies in the last three holes at the front as the caught up with Nelson Huerva, who carded a 74, Michael Bibat, who shot a 75, Josh Jorge, who fumbled with a 77, at eighth with 149s, while Mars Pucay (73), Jay Bayron (75) and Rico Depilo (77) all pooled 150s.

Que acknowledged the unpredictability of the course, where one solid shot could lead to a low number while a single mishit could be disastrous.

“I played a lot in windier conditions, but as long as I’m hitting it okay, I can manage my way around windy courses. The key is knowing where to miss your shots, even though it’s windy,” said Que.

Corpus, meanwhile, capitalized on rare scoring chances.

“I was always trying to hit the fairways and greens as usual and got a lucky break when I chipped in for eagle on No. 8,” he said. However, he immediately gave back those strokes with a double bogey on the next hole.

“The wind was gusting, but I hit my second shot right and had a good look for a chip-in. Then, on the next hole, I didn’t trust my shot, and the wind took my ball into the water,” he recalled.

Despite the setback, Corpus bounced back with a closing birdie to finish at 36-35.

Jahns appeared poised for a charge with two birdies in his first three holes on the back nine. However, like the rest of the field, he struggled against the tough conditions, stumbling with three bogeys against a lone birdie before salvaging a 37-34 with a clutch birdie on the final hole to match Corpus’ output.

With the cut set at 155, notable names like Jhonnel Ababa (77), Sean Ramos (77), Jobim Carlos (77), Rupert Zaragosa (79),  Gerald Rosales (80) and Christopher delos Santos (81)  made it through, while last year’s PGT Match Play champion Arnold Villacencio (75-157) and Ira Alido (84-161) failed to advance. Ferdie Aunzo withdrew due to a back injury.

As Que, Corpus and Jahns prepare for the pivotal Moving Day round Wednesday, the wind remains the biggest factor. With unpredictable gusts and tricky pin placements, the leaderboard remains volatile, and the battle for the ICTSI Pradera Verde crown is far from over.