Hot Clyde Mondilla charges to 4-shot lead with 69

STA. Rosa, Laguna, Philippines — Clyde Mondilla found his rhythm when majority of the rest didn’t, bucking an early bogey with four birdies for a three-under 69 and a huge four-stroke lead over Thai Tawit Polthai  on a relatively calm third day of the Solaire Philippine Open yesterday at The Country Club here yesterday.

Mondilla shook off an early slip with a kind of mindset needed in such pivotal rounds of a premier championship, coming through with solid driving, precise iron play and superb putting to fight back from two down, storm past a horde of Thais and closer to a dream crown in Asia’s oldest National Open at one-under 215.

“It was just a superb game,” said Mondilla, who moved in the threshold of a breakthrough Open victory after submitting the lone under overall total among the 66 players who survived severe conditions in the first two rounds.

It was also a stirring comeback for a reticent shotmaker who came into the $500,000 championship sponsored by Solaire Resort & Casino reeling from a missed cut stint in last week’s ICTSI Riviera Challenge.

“I hit my irons pretty solid, my short game was good and I putted well,” said Mondilla, who had to fight off personal woes and injuries that hampered his campaign last year following a four-victory romp to claim the 2017 Philippine Golf Tour Order of Merit title.

Polthai, who hit back-to-back birdies Thursday to keep his spot at the top, struggled and fumbled with four bogeys at the front for a 40 despite the absence of the strong winds. He recovered with a 36 for a 76 but slipped to second at 219.

Nirun Sae-Ueng, who kept Mondilla in sight in second-to-last flight with a 36 start, failed to match the Del Monte ace’s superb finish, hobbling with a 38 for a 74 for joint third at 220 then praised the new leader’s excellent game that helped put him 18 holes away from keeping the crown which absentee Miguel Tabuena won via playoff over Prom Meesawat last year.

“Honestly, I didn’t know him (Mondilla) personally. This is the first time that I played against him but he’s fine, excellent player. He hit precise shots and putted well,” said Nirun of the soft-spoken 2017 PGT Order of Merit champion who wound up joint 56th here last year.