Que pulls clear, Avaricio takes lead at Summit Point

LIPA CITY, Batangas — Angelo Que broke away from a crowded leaderboard with three consecutive birdies after the turn, firing a second straight six-under-par 66 Wednesday to build a four-stroke lead halfway through the ICTSI Summit Point Championship.

The 47-year-old reigning Philippine Golf Tour Order of Merit champion reached 12-under 132 at Summit Point Golf and Country Club, putting himself in position for a second victory this season after edging Tony Lascuña at Caliraya Springs.

Starting on the back nine, Que seized control with birdies on Nos. 1, 2 and 3, then protected his advantage with a string of steady pars as wet conditions tested the field’s patience and precision.

His combination of experience, selective aggression and composure again separated him from younger challengers.

“Winning is a motivation for me, especially at this age. If you can keep winning, then that’s a good sign,” Que said.

Asked how he remains competitive, Que pointed to gratitude, perspective and planning rather than forcing results.

“Maybe it’s just the way I look at things. I’m just grateful that I’m still playing and I’m still healthy. I can still keep up with the young ones. So, I think that’s – there’s no secret really. It’s just planning lang siguro, planning way ahead. Not forcing anything.”

The PHP 2.5 million championship has yielded low scores under winter rules, although the damp layout continues to demand careful shot selection.

Winter rules, commonly called preferred lies, allow players to lift, clean and place their balls within a specified relief area, generally on closely mown ground and no nearer the hole.

Carl Corpus led the pursuit at 136 after matching Que’s 66, while Corpus’ cousin Aidric Chan, Reymon Jaraula and first-round leader Justin Quiban shared third at 137.

Corpus, 25, is chasing a second PGT title following his breakthrough at Valley Golf last year.

After an uneven back-nine start that included a birdie and a bogey, Corpus accelerated on the front nine with birdies on Nos. 1 and 2, an eagle on the par-5 third and birdies on the next two holes.

He parred the sixth and birdied the seventh on his way to a seven-under 29 over the front nine, propelling him into solo second.

Corpus is also sharpening his game for his second Asian Games appearance in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, later this month.

Chan remained five strokes behind Que after a 69 as he pursued his first PGT victory following his maiden Asian Development Tour title last year.

Taking advantage of calm early conditions, Chan offset two back-nine bogeys with three birdies and an eagle for a 33, then balanced two birdies with two bogeys on the front nine.

Jaraula joined him with a 67 built on seven birdies against two bogeys.

Quiban, who opened with a 65, could not regain momentum after a double bogey on the par-4 first hole. He finished with an even-par 72 to remain tied for third at seven under overall.

Que said his ball-striking was largely unchanged, with more greens in regulation and better putting making the difference.

“Driving-wise, it’s just the same. I hit a lot of fairways. I hit more greens today, though, and basically, it’s almost the same, except that I just hit more greens,” Que said.

His decisive stretch featured a tap-in birdie on No. 1, a 25-foot putt on No. 2 and a four-foot birdie putt on No. 3 after a well-executed bunker shot.

Que said his long game had been reliable for months, with putting the missing ingredient.

“I think I’ve been hitting it good for the past few months. It’s just that I wasn’t holing many putts. Yesterday and today, I’ve been doing that, which is the biggest difference. But I’m not really expecting anything. If I start holing putts, I will start playing well. If I don’t, then it’s fine. I’m hitting it good naman, eh. So, I’m not really worried.”

Keanu Jahns shot a bogey-free 67 to take solo sixth at 138.

Amateur Miguel Ilas followed at 139 after a 69 featuring six birdies and three bogeys, while Sean Ramos also carded a 69 for 140.

Que enters the final 36 holes with a clear advantage, though another low-scoring round from the chasing group could quickly narrow the gap.

In the women’s competition, Chanelle Avaricio rebounded from an opening 75 with a bogey-free 69 to take a one-stroke lead over Apple Fudolin heading into Thursday’s final round.

Avaricio parred the first 11 holes before birdies on Nos. 12 and 13 sparked her charge. She also birdied the par-5 16th for the second consecutive day, completing a 36-33 round for an even-par 144 total.

“I hit more greens in regulation today compared to yesterday, so it was easier to make par today,” said Avaricio, who credited improved iron play and putting for her recovery.

Her late surge, coupled with closing mistakes by Sarah Ababa and Tiffany Lee, lifted her into the outright lead after 36 holes.

Ababa, the sole first-round leader after a 71 gave her a two-stroke advantage, double-bogeyed the 18th and finished with a 75.

Lee moved into a three-way tie with Avaricio and Ababa after playing her first 15 holes in one under, but bogeys on Nos. 16 and 17 left her with a second straight 73.

Ababa and Lee shared third at 146 with Seoyun Kim, who recovered with a 71.

Fudolin became Avaricio’s nearest challenger at 145 after a 71, putting a breakthrough title within reach.

She birdied two of her first three holes, dropped shots on Nos. 9 and 10, then birdied No. 13 to finish with a 35-36 round.

Yvon Bisera matched par 72 for 147, tying Gretchen Villacencio, who shot a 74.

Harmie Constantino, who began the round two strokes behind Ababa, slipped to a 75 for 148, four shots off Avaricio’s lead.

Avaricio heads into the final 18 holes with momentum after producing the day’s lowest score without a bogey.

“Hindi ko naman naisip na bogey-free. I was really focusing on every shot. Parang I just wanna make it to the fairway, then hit the green para two putts for par. ’Yoon naman, ’yoon lang ’yong nasa isip ko,” Avaricio said.

Asked what changed in her second round, she again pointed to her approach shots.

“I think ’yong second shots ko. Yeah, I was making more greens, then I was just making putts. ’Yong I had only three birdies today, so I was trying to make more, but ’di pumasok. So, I think it’s more on my second shot,” she said.

With Fudolin one stroke behind and five other contenders within three shots, Avaricio plans to keep her attention on each shot.

“I’ll focus on, you know, every shot, try not to get ahead, and, you know, hopefully more putts pumasok tomorrow,” she said when asked about her final-round plan.

The Pinewoods leg winner is seeking another title while keeping her expectations in check.

“Of course I want to win, but anything can happen tomorrow, so all I can say, I’ll do my best,” she said.

Her approach to handling the pressure will remain unchanged.

“Stick on my routine, and focus on my game,” she said.

Stronger winds are forecast for Thursday, potentially making the wet layout more demanding and increasing the importance of approach shots, putting and course management.

With the leaderboard tightly packed, a run of birdies could lift a challenger into the lead, while one costly mistake could erase Avaricio’s advantage.

The fifth leg of the Ladies Philippine Golf Tour, organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc., will come down to how well Avaricio and her pursuers manage the conditions and the pressure over the final 18 holes.