STA. ROSA, Laguna — Defending champion Guido Van der Valk checked an impending skid with a birdie on 18 to salvage a 74 and the halfway lead in The Country Club Invitational Wednesday.
Van der Valk had already stepped out of the players’ tent ruing his day-long struggle on TCC’s tricky surface only to find out he had taken control of the field on three-over 147.
“I hit it pretty good today but didn’t really hole enough putts inside 8 feet,” said Van der Valk, whose flubbed par-saving putts on 9, 11, 13 and 16 put to naught his 20-foot birdie on the par-5 second hole.
But he hit a good drive on the 18th and a superb 5-wood approach from 205 yards to within five feet for birdie.
One shot back was Clyde Mondilla who shot a 75.
“There are two rounds left. I need some luck on putting,” he said.
Jay Bayron, who had a share of the lead in the first round, came in ruffled by the winds in the last flight and limped home with a 76. He was even par through 12 holes before he finished with four bogeys in the last six holes.
Bayron’s fumbling finish and a four-over card dropped him to joint third at 149 with Zanieboy Gialon and American Micah Shin, whose even par 72s were the best so far after 36 holes.
Gialon, runaway winner at Caliraya Springs last year, missed joining Mondilla at second with a last-hole bogey, while Shin, the 2018 TCC champion, squandered his bid for joint lead with a double-bogey on the layout’s signature par-3 17th.
“I aimed for the pin but hit it fat and hit the water,” said the long-hitting Shin, who rebounded from a bogey on 2 with birdies on 5, 7 and 10. “I need to play better and try not to make any bogey.”
Gialon, meanwhile, stressed the need to sharpen his short game to contend for the record P2 million top purse.
“I need my pitch-and-putt game to click,” he said.
Young Sean Ramos hobbled with bogeys on 16 and 17 for a 75 but stayed in the hunt at sixth with 150, three strokes off Van der Valk.
The second-round results:
147 — Guido van der Valk (73-74)
148 — Clyde Mondilla (73-75)
149 — Jay Bayron (73-76), Zanieboy Gialon (77-72), Micah Shin (77-72)
150 — Sean Jean Ramos (75-75)
151 — Art Arbole (76-75), Jerson Balasabas (73-78), Michael Bibat (75-76), Marvin Dumandan (74-77), Frankie Minoza (74-77)
152 — Jhonnel Ababa (74-78), Mars Pucay (74-78)
153 — Ira Alido (76-77), Tony Lascuna (77-76)
154 — Lloyd Jefferson Go (76-78)
156 — Joenard Rates (77-79), Orlan Sumcad (79-77), Rupert Zaragosa (75-81)
158 — Fidel Concepcion (80-78), Rico Depilo (79-79)
159 — Albin Engino (75-84)
160 — Paul Echavez (81-79), Gerald Rosales (77-83)
163 — Richard Sinfuego (82-81)
165 — Dan Emilio Cruz (85-80), Eric Gallardo (82-83), Dino Villanueva (81-84)
167 — Anthony Fernando (88-79), Reymon Jaraula (85-82)
