Quiban Fires 66, Leads Forest Hills Classic by One

ANTIPOLO – Justin Quiban marked his return to local competition with a sizzling six-under-par 65, seizing a one-shot lead in the opening round of the ICTSI Forest Hills Classic at the Nicklaus course Tuesday.

On a break from the Asian Tour and International Series, Quiban took advantage of favorable morning conditions, opening with two birdies and capping his front nine with an eagle-3 on the par-5 10th.

He stumbled with a bogey on the tight par-4 12th but bounced back by birdieing three of his final five holes to complete a 33-32 round.

His strong finish put him one stroke ahead of Tom Marcelo and Guido van der Valk, who both carded 66s to share second.

“I didn’t really expect to lead, but my game has been trending in the right direction,” Quiban said.

“I just committed to every shot and trusted my game. The outcome just happened to put me in the lead.”

Despite lacking “local knowledge” of Forest Hills, Quiban credited his mental focus and shot-by-shot execution for the solid round.

“Just one small doubt here and you could hit it off-line, lose a ball, or worse, make double,” said the three-time Philippine Golf Tour leg winner.

“So staying committed was the key.”

Van der Valk, returning from a long layoff, showed little rust as he opened with back-to-back birdies and added five more against a single bogey.

However, a misjudged approach on the 18th led to a closing bogey that cost him a share of the lead.

“I hit the middle of the fairway but got the wind wrong,” said the Dutchman.

“I hit it good to start with but wasn’t sure where my game was after the break,” he added.

“Fortunately, that strong start helped calm me down, and I was able to build momentum from there.”

Marcelo, meanwhile, overcame three early bogeys with a flurry of birdies, including three straight from No. 5, to tie for second.

The Marikina native, who missed the cut in the circuit’s first two legs, admitted to nerves early on.

“Parang kinabahan ako (I think I got a bit nervous),” he said.

“But after that slump, nag-settle yung laro ko (my game settled down).”

Defending champion Keanu Jahns and Jeffren Lumbo trailed by one with 67s, while a crowded leaderboard featuring seasoned pros and emerging contenders is shaping up behind them.

Jahns, who notched his first tour victory here last year, made par on the front nine and rallied with four birdies at the back.

Lumbo opened hot with a four-under 32 but cooled off on the inward nine with two birdies against a pair of bogeys.

Reymon Jaraula posted a two-under 68 that included a double bogey and an eagle on No. 16 to claim solo sixth.

Club pro Randy Garalde used his familiarity with the terrain to card a 69.

Joining him at one under were Rupert Zaragosa, Carl Corpus, Luis Bagtas, and Japanese players Junichi Katayama and Atsushi Ueda.

Several notable names struggled on the Nicklaus-designed layout.

Angelo Que, seeking a third straight title after wins at Pradera Verde and Eagle Ridge, opened with three bogeys.

Though he rallied with four birdies, three more bogeys dropped him to a tie for 24th at three-over 74.

Also finishing at 74 were Michael Bibat, Zanieboy Gialon, Gab Manotoc, and reigning Match Play champion Arnold Villacencio.

Clyde Mondilla, the 2023 Forest Hills winner, started strong with birdies on Nos. 2 and 3, but a four-bogey stretch from No. 5 halted his momentum.

A late birdie on No. 16 salvaged a one-over 72, placing him in a tie for 17th alongside six others, including recent Asian Development Tour winner Aidric Chan.

Veteran Tony Lascuña had a rough day, carding a six-over 76 with two bogeys and a double on the front, another bogey on No. 14, and just one birdie at No. 16.

He slipped to a tie for 44th going into the second round of the PHP1 million, 54-hole tournament organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc. and sponsored by ICTSI.