Team Phl I grabs lead in Montecillo Cup

MANILA, Philippines - Team Phl I, composed of Gio Gandionco and teener Raymart Tolentino, assembled a one-over-par 145 to grab an early one-stroke lead over Thailand’s Sarit Suwannarut-Chanachok Dejpiratanamonkol and the Team Phl II pair of Clyde Mondilla and Kristoffer Arevalo at the start of the Montecillo Junior Golf Championship at the Orchard Golf and Country Club in Dasmariñas, Cavite yesterday.

In the girls side, rising star Princess Superal of the ICTSI golf squad put on a dazzling putting accuracy to finish with a four-under-par 68 while teammate Bianca Pagdanganan added a seven-over-par 79 for a 147 aggregate for Team Phl II, which leads Thailand and Team Phl III by seven.

The 16-year-old Gandionco scored a one-under-par 71 while the 13-year-old Tolentino, a high school freshman at Marist, supported with a two-over-par 74 under hot condition at the wind-swept Palmer course. 

Gandionco bucked a bogey on the 12th with birdies on the 13th and 17th for a 35 in the back nine, where he began his round. He had an even 36 at the front side.

Tolentino, 13, gained a shot with a birdie on the 11th only to drop it on 12th.  He canceled out the bogey on No. 17 with a birdie on the next. He birdied the first hole but got into trouble on the third, where he tumbled with a double bogey followed by a birdie on the sixth and bogey on the ninth.