Joenard Rates highlighted a seven-under-par 65 with two eagles to seize a four-stroke lead over Jhonnel Ababa and young Korean Rho Hyun Ho at the start of the ICTSI Villamor Philippine Masters at the Villamor Golf Club Wednesday.
He had a chance to equal the course record set by Vic Santia in the late nineties but flubbed a downhill putt from 12 feet on the par-5 18th.
Rates posted the eagles on the par-5 eighth hole and on the par-4 15th to press his bid for a first crown since 2018.
Ababa also shot an eagle on the par-5 No. 2 and negated three frontside bogeys with a four-birdie binge at the back to shoot a 69, matching Ho’s round.
The 72-hole event offers a total purse of P2.5 million.
Comebacking Toru Nakajima also hit two late backside birdies to card a 70 for a share of fourth with Reymon Jaraula, Nilo Salahog and back-to-back The Country Club Invitational champion Guido van der Valk.
Keanu Jahns, runner-up to absentee Tony Lascuña in the inaugural Villamor Match Play Invitational last November, bucked a two-over 38 card with a birdie-eagle feat from 12 to lead the 71 scorers who included pro-am winner Jay Bayron, Marvin Dumandan, Rolando Marabe, Jr. and Gerald Rosales.
But the day belonged to Rates.
“I really didn’t expect to score this low. I just tried to relax and hit as many fairways and greens,” said Rates, who snatched the PGT Asia Summit Crown in Lipa City, Batangas five years ago.
But he has struggled since, going winless in 2019 and in bubble tournaments during the pandemic. The diminutive shotmaker from Mt. Malarayat skipped the Visayan swing of this year’s circuit due to illness, wound up 26th at Caliraya Springs and didn’t see action in the recent Luisita Championship.
‘I really didn’t expect to score this low. I just tried to relax and hit as many fairways and greens,’ said Rates, who snatched the PGT Asia Summit Crown in Lipa City, Batangas five years ago.
Decision-making also played a big role to his early surge.
Holding a 2-iron while facing a 232-yard second shot on the par-5 No. 8, he opted for a 5-wood to battle the gust, the ball landing on the right side of the green and kicking to the left 10 feet way past the hole.
He drained the putt for eagle then snapped a three-par run with a birdie-birdie-birdie spree, including a tap-in on No. 13 and a 25-footer on the next. He then went for conservative play on the short but tight par-4 No. 15, hitting his 5-iron tee shot to the center of the fairway then hacking a 9-iron approach from 115 yards that went in.
“We didn’t see it drop but I knew it was on target,” he said.
The leading scores:
65 — Joenard Rates
69 — Jhonnel Ababa, Rho Hyun Ho
70 — Reymon Jaraula, Toru Nakajima, Nilo Salahog, Guido van der Valk
71 — Jay Bayron, Marvin Dumandan, Keanu Jahns, Rolando Marabe Jr., Gerald Rosales
72 — Art Arbole, Rico Depilo, Bonifacio Salahog, Gary Sales (am)
73 — Kim Seong Guk, Gabriel Manotoc, Elmer Salvador, Kuresh Samanodi
74 — Russell Bautista, Fidel Concepcion, Dan Emilio Cruz, Jelbert Gamolo, Frankie Minoza, Teodoro Lucio Osabel, Elmer Saban
75 — Anthony Fernando, Robert Pactolerin, Joel Pilac
76 — Sonny Almazan, Jerson Balasabas, Rufino Bayron, Michael Bibat, Albin Engino, Kang Chon Koo, Ivan Monsalve, Allan Remata, Arnold Villacencio
