Quiban storms ahead with 67

BUKIDNON, Philippines — Justin Quiban shrugged off a brief rain delay with a second straight 67 and stormed past Reymon Jaraula and Jhonnel Ababa for a one-stroke lead halfway through the ICTSI Del Monte Championship here yesterday.

As first-round leader Clyde Mondilla wrestled with his putter after pounding the Del Monte Golf Club with a two-eagle, six-birdie blitz for a 64 last Tuesday, Quiban came away with another five-under card to move on top of a stellar field at 10-under 134.

“It’s pretty much the same,” said Quiban, when asked to assess his game in the first two rounds. “I was just trying to stick to my strategies. It’s a tight course so I need to hit the fairways and try to capitalize on the par-5s.”

He birdied all but one of the four long holes, including the last on No. 9 that moved him past Jaraula and Ababa, who also put up big frontside windups to momentarily seize control at 135 after a 65 and 69, respectively.

Then Quiban came along.

Mondilla rued his poor putting that led to a number of missed chances and a 72 as the local ace fell to solo fourth at 136. Rupert Zaragosa went even-par and dropped to fifth at 137.

“Putting made the difference but at least, I’m still in the position,” said Mondilla, who actually stayed in command with two birdies in the first four holes at the back before his putting turned a bit shaky, leading to two bogeys and muffed birdie opportunities.

Art Arbole fired a 68 to move up to joint sixth at 139 with Nilo Salahog, who struggled with a 73, while Ferdie Aunzo shot a 68 for a 141 as he joined Zanieboy Gialon, who carded a 69, and Ira Alido, who shot a 70, at eighth with 36 holes left in the P2.5 million championship backed by the organizing Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.’s official apparel Kampfortis Golf.

The rest of the surviving 40-player field are too far behind to pose a threat with the tightly-bunched Top 5, with only three strokes separating them heading to the last two days.

“My goal is to score 5-under each day and sneak in another birdie on the par-3s and par-4s,” said Quiban, a two-time winner on the PGT and PGT Asia, whose strong 36-hole showing underscored his tip-top condition following a tough stint in the Asian Development Tour in Vietnam last Sunday.