Mondilla rallies with 67, tops Jr World elims

Manila, Philippines - Former national champion Clyde Mondilla battled back from eight strokes with a brilliant five-under 67 to top the Class A division in the Junior World qualifier of the ICTSI Jungolf Summer Circuit at the Legends course of the Manila Southwoods Golf and Country Club in Carmona, Cavite Thursday.

Mondilla bogeyed the first hole but picked up six birdies the rest of the way in an impressive finish that scuttled three-day leader Vijay Vasandani III of Cebu, who bombed out with an 82. The Del Monte-based Mondilla finished with a 295 aggregate over 72 holes for a seven shot romp over Vasandani.

Dottie Ardina, Miggy Yee, Princess Superal, Kristoffer Arevalo, Mia Legaspi, Ira Alido and Harmie Constantino, meanwhile, topped their respective classes to join Mondilla in the Philippine delegation to the Junior World championships in San Diego, California this July.

All division champions won free round-trip tickets to Los Angeles courtesy of Philippine Airlines, one of the major backers of the circuit backed by Pancake House, Teriyaki Boy, Sizzlin Pepper, Chevrolet, Golf Depot, McDonalds, Duty Free, Friends of Jungolf, A Round of Golf and Inquirer Golf.

Ardina matched par 72 for a 293 and ruled girls’ Class A by 10 shots, Yee fired a 66 for 275 for a nine-shot win in boys’ Class B, Superal topped the girls’ Class B by one with a 73-292, Arevalo (76-302) prevailed in boys Class C by 20 shots.

Legaspi posted the biggest winning margin with her 27-shot victory in girls’ Class C, Alido won by three strokes in boys’ Class D and Constantino finished 17 strokes ahead of the pack in girls’ Class D.

Also sharing the limelight on the final day were Philippe Palanca (Class D) and LJ Go who took the final spots in their divisions after prevailing in sudden-death playoffs.