CAVINTI, Laguna – Given the chance to shine, Tae Soo Kim seized the moment, upstaging a field of renowned rivals with a solid six-under 66 and snatching a one-stroke lead over a late-charging Dino Villanueva at the start of the ICTSI Caliraya Springs Championship here Tuesday.

Granted a spot in the Philippine Golf Tour event through a Category 7 position after a joint 36th finish in the recent PGT Qualifying School, Kim displayed exceptional skill amid challenging weather, utilizing his precise driving and adept putting to secure the unexpected lead.

“I didn’t expect (to lead), especially since I struggled to hit par during practice round,” said Kim, reflecting on his modest expectations following missed cut stints in the circuit’s first two legs in Davao.

Despite wet conditions early on, Kim’s consistent fairway hits were key to his standout performance after 18 holes of the P2.5 million championship sponsored by ICTSI.

“I hit a lot of fairways with my solid driving,” said the 19-year-old from Seoul, who also excelled on the tricky surface of the Arnold Palmer-designed course, overcoming the day’s early showers by birdying Nos. 14, 16 and 18 in a strong backside start.

“My short putts were off but somehow, the long ones just found their way,” added Kim, who also gained strokes on Nos. 1, 5 and 8.

Villanueva, in hot pursuit with a strong finish for a 67, positioned himself just a stroke off Kim, highlighting his round with three birdies in the last five holes to negate a lone miscue on the par-5 No. 12 due to a flawed bunker shot and a missed putt on the unreceptive greens that demanded patience.

But the leaderboard is tightly packed with Sean Ramos, Angelo Que and Guido van der Valk matching 69s for third, and Aidric Chan, Keanu Jahns and Clyde Mondilla carding identical 70s for a share of sixth.

Rico Depilo, Eric Gallardo, Francis Morilla and Frankie Miñoza all shot 71s to make it a crowded leaderboard in the third leg of the 10-stage circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. and supported by Kampfortis Golf, the PGTI’s official apparel.

Ramos also started out strong, taking advantage of ideal conditions to birdie three of the first three holes in the first flight with Jahns and Reymon Jaraula. However, a pair of bogeys from No. 10 saw him slip despite a late birdie that helped him finish with a 69 alongside Que and van der Valk.

“Everything was solid, especially my putting. I saved a lot of pars,” said Ramos, who pinpointed his wedge play as an area for improvement.

“I missed a lot of greens, which are very firm and hard to attack. So I needed to stay patient,” said Ramos.

Despite hitting six birdies against three bogeys marred by miscues on a couple of par-3s, Que said he was happy with the way he played on a course that played a lot tougher compared to last year where Tony Lascuña won with an 18-under 270 total.

“The course is harder because the greens are firm, the pins are tough and the wind was blowing,” said Que, a three-time Asian Tour winner who birdied the last hole to get into the early mix. “So, it’s really hard when you have those combinations.”

Van der Valk, who finished runner-up at Apo and Palos Verdes, faced challenges in the early going but quickly recovered to put himself back into contention for the third straight time.

“I started really tough with bogeys in the first two holes. But I kept my patience and hit some better shots, holing out with a long birdie putt on No. 7. After that, I played solid and ended up with a good number,” said the Dutchman, who also birdied No. 4 and completed a three-birdie binge to close out his frontside stint despite challenging conditions.

“It’s weird, and the wind and rain made it awkward. Every time there’s a bit of rain, the wind picked, so clubbing was difficult. The greens are so firm that it’s hard to get the ball close to the hole,” said Van der Valk, who birdied the two long holes at the back (Nos. 12 and 16) against a bogey on No. 13.

Lascuña blew a two-under card with bogeys on Nos. 12 and 18, ending up with a 72 for a share of 13th with Jerson Balasabas, Michael Bibat, Minwook Gwon and Tae Won Kim, while Rupert Zaragosa birdied the 16th to save a 73 for a share of 18th with Jobim Carlos, Fidel Concepcion, Josh Jorge, Carlos Packing, Daiya Suzuki and Min Hyeok Yu.

Jhonnel Ababa, who nipped van der Valk in sudden death to snare the Apo Golf Classic crown but struggled to finish tied 25th at Palos Verdes, also squandered a birdie-birdie feat from No. 4 as he made four bogeys in the last nine holes and limped with a 74.
He fell to joint 25th with Ira Alido, Jay Bayron, Albin Engino, Kota Fukuyama, Mars Pucay, Ryan Monsalve, Lanz Uy and Arnold Villacencio.