Mondilla strikes with late eagle, seizes Pueblo lead

MANILA, Philippines — Clyde Mondilla delivered when it mattered most, capping a late-round surge with a spectacular eagle on the par-5 No. 17 to card a four-under 68 yesterday and seize the solo lead in the ICTSI Pueblo de Oro Championship in Cagayan de Oro, moving within 18 holes of a long-awaited return to the winner’s circle.

Locked in a fierce, day-long battle for control, Mondilla found another gear down the stretch, stringing together crucial birdies before nearly holing his second shot on the 17th. The late flourish lifted the Bukidnon ace to a 10-under-par 206 total and gave him a precious one-stroke cushion over Russell Bautista heading into the final round of the P2.5-million championship.

The surge proved decisive in a crowded leaderboard that had featured a multiple tie at eight-under, with Rupert Zaragosa, Keanu Jahns and Jeffren Lumbo also keeping themselves firmly in contention. Mondilla, however, produced the round’s defining shot to emerge as the man to beat in the eighth leg of the Philippine Golf Tour.

“Okay naman ang position ko. Sana magtuloy-tuloy,” said Mondilla, who is chasing his first championship in two years after defeating Angelo Que by three strokes at Caliraya Springs in 2024.

Having started the day two shots behind halfway leaders Bautista and Zaragosa, Mondilla initially struggled to gain ground, making the turn at even par. But rather than force the issue, he stayed patient, relying on his short game to limit the damage before unleashing his charge over the closing holes.