Hyun Ho Rho lines up his birdie putt on No. 16

CABANATUAN City – Hyun Ho Rho demonstrated his readiness for a Tour breakthrough by dominating the Lakewood course with an impressive frontside birdie run then rebounded from a backside slip with a strong finish to fire a 66, displacing Jhonnel Ababa atop the ICTSI Lakewood Championship leaderboard here yesterday.

After battling his way back from a series of challenges since his winning start in Davao last March, Ababa found himself leading the P2.5 million championship with a 67 in one of the early groups. However, he yielded the first-day honors to a hot-charging Rho four flights later, as the young Korean capped a lead-grabbing six-under card with two birdies in the last three holes.

“I wasn’t driving straight, but I hit my irons pretty close to the pin. My chipping and putting were also good,” said Rho, 19, who came into this week’s event with a winning mindset after falling short of his title drive at the recent Philippine Masters.

Hyun Ho Rho flashes the thumbs-up after birdying the first hole

The 2023 PGT Q-School topnotcher went on a scoring spree right from the first shot, birdying the first hole, dominating Nos. 3 and 4, then picking up more strokes on the sixth and eighth for a 32.

A pulled tee-shot on the par-3 11th led to his lone bogey on a hot but windless day. However, he set up a five-foot birdie putt on the 16th and rolled in a 12-footer on the closing par-5 hole to wrest control in the tournament sponsored by ICTSI.

“I think it’s going to be the same thing tomorrow (today). The course is very wide, and there are good scoring opportunities despite the tricky greens,” he added.

Ababa also executed his game plan to near-perfection, putting in a 32-35. He complemented his superb driving and iron play with steady putting, finishing with eight birdies that easily negated three miscues, hardly putting a dent in his opening round bid in the 72-hole championship.

“Maganda lahat (Everything is good) – off the tee to the green,” said Ababa, who on the eve of the fifth leg of this year’s circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc., expressed his confidence in a strong showing on the 6,687-yard course, which he said is short by their standards.

He birdied four of the first six holes inside six feet for a frontside 32. Despite faltering with back-to-back bogeys from No. 10, he quickly regrouped, rattling off three straight birdies from No. 13. He then bounced back from a misstep on the 17th with a birdie on the last.

“Bumalik na din yung kumpiyansa ko at super ganda lahat – driving, irons at putting (My confidence has also returned and everything is great),” added Ababa, whose game had been on a somewhat downhill trend following a playoff victory over Guido van der Valk in the Apo Golf Classic. He struggled to find his form at Palos Verdes, where he tied for 25th, and failed to contend at Caliraya Springs and the Philippine Masters.

Jhonnel Ababa reacts after his pitch-in eagle bid on No. 18 missed its target

“’Pag ganun pa din ang laro ko sa next three days, malaki ang chance (If my game continues like that in the next three days, there’s a good chance),” added the reigning Order of Merit winner.

A mix of formidable contenders is breathing down their necks, including Ozeki Kakeru, who later joined Ababa at second with a spectacular eagle finish on the 18th for a 32-35.

The Japanese, who tied for 17th at the Philippine Masters, positioned himself for the early lead with two birdies and an eagle in the first four holes. After a run of pars, he tied Rho at six-under with back-to-back feats from No. 13.

A bogey on the 15th and a double bogey on No. 17, however, pulled him down the standings, but wheeled back into early contention with that closing second eagle.

Multi-titled Tony Lascuña endured a roller-coaster round with two late birdies to shoot a 69, joining five others at fourth, including Ferdie Aunzo, Russell Bautista, Jay Bayron, Rupert Zaragosa and Gabriel Manotoc.

Five others posted 70 scores, including Art Arbole, Albin Engino, Jonas Magcalayo, Daiya Suzuki and Sean Ramos, while Randy Garalde, Nelson Huerva and Arnold Villacencio matched 71. Only 17 players from out of the starting field of 60 broke par, showcasing Lakewood’s toughness despite near-ideal conditions.