Miñoza catches Rates at helm after hot 67

CAGAYAN DE ORO, Philippines – Frankie Miñoza kept the momentum of his fiery windup at Del Monte as he turned in a five-under 67 to forge a share of the lead with unheralded Joenard Rates at the start of the P1 million ICTSI Pueblo de Oro Championship at the Pueblo de Oro layout here yesterday.

Miñoza, who hit nine birdies to finish with a solid 63 and win last week’s ICTSI Del Monte leg crown by five, extended his birdie-spree to 10 on No. 2 and rebounded from his first bogey in the last 29 holes on No. 4 with another five-birdie binge in the last 15 holes to set his back-to-back title bid in motion with a 33-34 card.

But the two-time Philippine Open champion and former Asian Tour No. 1 found an unlikely co-leader in Rates, who turned in a bogey-free 67 although the chasing pack includes the tour’s big guns, including Tony Lascuña, Elmer Salvador, Mars Pucay and Rufino Bayron, who stood just one stroke adrift with 68s.

Jay Bayron, Benjie Magada, Arnold Villacencio and Angelo Que shot identical 69s, Mhark Fernando fired a two-under 70 and Marvin Dumanda, James Ryan Lam, Carl Santos-Ocampo, Gerald Rosales and defending champion Charles Hong carded 71 each.

“I didn’t expect to shoot this low. I just played relaxed and made birdies,” said Rates, who gunned down five birdies in a bogey-free round in sweltering heat.

Languishing at No. 50 in the Order of Merit ranking with so-so finishes and three missed cut stints in the first six legs of the ICTSI Philippine Golf Tour, Rates missed just one fairway and hit 16 greens, five of which he turned into birdies inside 10 feet, while saving pars in two times that he went out of regulation.

Salvador, winner of Tuesday’s pro-am tournament, and Lascuña, the runaway champion at ICTSI Calatagan, came away with five birdies and one bogey each as they shared third place with Pucay and Rufino Bayron, who fired their own versions of 68s in late afternoon.

Pucay, who last won at ICTSI Iloilo leg last year, highlighted his four-under card with an eagle on No. 17 and two birdies in the last four holes at the front while Rufino Bayron, still in search of his maiden pro victory after winning a pro tournament as an amateur in 2009, closed out with a 33 at the front to put himself in early contention.

Magada, out to snap a string of poor finishes in the circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc., flashed fine form in the early going, ramming in five birdies at the back to tie Miñoza and Rates then surged ahead with another birdie on the first hole. But he failed to sustain his charge, bogeying No. 4 and dropping two strokes on No. 5 to settle for a 69.

Que, who dominated the Orchard leg in his return to the local circuit sponsored by ICTSI, actually seized control early with three birdies in the first six holes but fell back with a double-bogey on the par-5 seventh. He dropped another shot on No. 11 but rallied with three straight birdies from No. 13 to put himself back in the hunt with a 69.

Jay Bayron, seeking a follow-up to his come-from-behind win at ICTSI John Hay, also stood at five-under with five birdies in an eight-hole stretch bridging the nines from the back but stumbled with three straight bogeys from No. 4, needing to birdie the seventh to join Que, Villacencio and Magada at seventh.

The 54-hole event is backed by Nike Golf, Empire Golf and Sports Shop, Mizuno, Titleist, Srixon, Foot Joy, Callaway, Pacsports, Custom Clubmakers, Cleveland Golf and Sharp.