Gretchen Villacencio defied brutal playing conditions to take a three-stroke lead with a 3-over-par 75 in the opening round of the ICTSI Eagle Ridge Championship at the wind-swept Faldo course on Monday.
Battling strong gusts and unpredictable greens, Villacencio displayed remarkable composure, emerging as the surprise frontrunner in the PHP750,000 tournament.
Her round included three birdies and six bogeys, as most of the field struggled under unrelenting conditions.
Villacencio ran into trouble on her inward nine, dropping four shots in the first seven holes.
However, she drained a clutch 21-foot birdie putt on No. 18 to salvage a 36-39 round, giving her a three-shot cushion.
‘It Was Unexpected’
“It’s really unexpected,” said Villacencio, who is still searching for her first LPGT victory after seven years as a pro.
“I really didn’t expect to lead today, but I was just really lucky. God was with me all throughout.”
Two pivotal moments kept her ahead—a chip-in birdie on No. 4 and a long-range birdie conversion on No. 18.
“My only goal was to make the cut because the conditions were so tough,” she said.
“The wind was extremely strong, and we couldn’t gauge how much club adjustment was needed. Sometimes the wind would die down, then suddenly blow so hard.”
Challengers Struggle
Multi-titled Sarah Ababa and rising star Kayla Nocum both carded 78s, tying for second after struggling against the swirling winds.
Seoyun Kim, joint runner-up at Pradera Verde two weeks ago, managed a birdie-less 79, sharing fourth with Mikha Fortuna, who had back-to-back birdies from No. 4 but stumbled with four straight bogeys from No. 6.
Chanelle Avaricio, a multiple LPGT winner in 2022, slumped to an 80 without a single birdie, settling for a share of sixth with Florence Bisera, Chihiro Ikeda, Tiffany Lee, and Mafy Singson.
Other notable scores included:
Annika Cedo, Eun Hua Nam – 81
LK Go, Marvi Monsalve – 82
Pamela Mariano, Laurea Duque, Min Yeong Kim, Sunshine Baraquiel, Velinda Castil – 83
Notable Cuts and Missed Opportunities
Last year’s Order of Merit winner Harmie Constantino struggled in the challenging conditions, finishing with an 85 alongside Rev Alcantara, Apple Fudolin, and Monica Mandario, missing the first-round cut at 83.
Others who failed to advance included:
Kristine Fleetwood – 86
Martina Miñoza – 87
Lucy Landicho – 89
Amateur Juliane Gaerlan – 93
One Round at a Time
Despite her lead, Villacencio is keeping her expectations in check, acknowledging the need for another solid round to secure her elusive first win.
“Honestly, I’m just hoping to sustain this momentum,” she said.
“I need to stay focused and keep my game steady.”
With strong winds expected to persist, the race for the ICTSI Eagle Ridge crown remains wide open, but Villacencio now finds herself in prime position to turn a lucky day into a long-awaited breakthrough.
