LAUREL, Batangas – South Korea’s Ji Sung Cheon delivered a strong opening round in the Philippine Golf Tour Qualifying School, carding a 69 to seize the lead despite a late stumble at the challenging Splendido Taal Golf Club here on Tuesday.
Ivan Monsalve rebounded from a shaky front-nine 38 with a brilliant five-birdie surge starting from the 10th hole, finishing with a 70 to trail Cheon by just one stroke. Meanwhile, Carl Corpus overcame a late-round struggle to salvage a 71, joining Jaehyun Jung and Atsushi Ueda in a tie for third in the early stages of the 72-hole eliminations organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.
Cheon, 19, capitalized on an early tee time to navigate the course before the afternoon heat and wind intensified, allowing him to outperform a slew of rivals in the 112-player field vying for coveted spots in this year’s ICTSI-sponsored premier circuit, slated to kick off next week at Pradera Verde in Pampanga.
Making his debut in the local tour qualifier, Cheon showcased impressive consistency and ball-striking ability. He dominated the challenging up-and-down layout with birdies on holes 1, 6, 7, 12 and 13.
However, his momentum was disrupted by firm greens, leading to three-putt miscues on Nos. 14 and 15. Cheon recovered with pars to close out a 33-36 round, securing a one-stroke lead over the late charging Monsalve.
“My score is a bit lower than I expected,” said Cheon. “I hit all the greens on the front nine, so I just kept a patient mindset. If I had a chance for birdie, I’d go for it, but otherwise, I played safe with two-putts from long range. That’s the key to my game.”
Despite a strong start, Cheon rued his missed par opportunities on the back nine. “I hit both 14 and 15 in regulation but made three-putt mistakes,” he said.
Jung, meanwhile, turned a one-over score into a 71 after back-to-back birdies on Nos. 14 and 15, moving into provisional solo second place, with another Korean, Chon Koo Kang, matching par 72.
Facing a challenging afternoon of hot, windy conditions, Monsalve rebounded from a two-birdie, three-bogey card after nine holes as he found his rhythm with a strong string of birdies from No. 10. He closed out his round with two bogeys and a birdie, finishing with a 70 to put himself in early contention for low medal honors.
“It just clicked for me and my caddie on the greens,” said Monsalve, crediting his caddie for the crucial reads that fueled his strong back-nine performance.
“Hitting the fairways in those five key holes was essential. My caddie and I communicated well on putt readings, which made a big difference,” he added.
Looking ahead, Monsalve emphasized the importance of consistency in his driving, stating, “I need to hit more fairways, and I want my short game to be a little more solid.”
Corpus appeared headed to take control of the opening round with four birdies in his first 10 holes. However, a double bogey on the par-5 11th, followed by a dropped shot on the next hole, set him back, leading to a final score of 33-38.
Korean Taewon Ha also looked poised to overtake Cheon, firing four birdies in a seven-hole stretch starting on No. 6. However, he faltered on the difficult finishing stretch, carding four consecutive bogeys from No. 13. He wound up with a 74 and fell to joint 11th place.
Three local players positioned themselves in contention with rounds of 73, including Belem Alarcon, returning veteran Rey Pagunsan and amateur Jhondie Quibol. Alarcon blew a one-under par card with bogeys in the last two holes, while Pagunsan’s roller-coaster round featured four birdies against five bogeys for a share of seventh with Brunei’s Qawim Asumon.
Quibol blew a one-under card with a double bogey on No. 13 but remained in contention just the same with his 37-36 card.
Meanwhile, Walter Sangalang, GJ Katigbak and Pepito Rico both shot 74s to join Ha, Kota Fukuyama, Kento Watanabe and Yuto Hayaski of Japan at 11th, while Johnny Alarcon, Jonas Magcalayo, Anthony Fernando, Tom Marcelo, Josh Jorge, Sean Harley, Aly Sinfuego and Dan Cruz all posted 75s.
Former leg winner Rufino Bayron struggled to a 76, sharing 26th place with Carlos Packing, Erol Cabauatan, Paul Echavez, Gab Manotoc and Rolando Marabe, Jr. and Japan’s Mima Kotaro and Junichi Katayama.
With 54 holes remaining, the race for the top 60 spots – and a place on the Philippine Golf Tour – remains wide open.
The 10-leg circuit, supported by Kampfortis Golf as the official apparel, kicks off on Monday (Feb. 24). The event will be preceded by the traditional pro-am tournament on Sunday (Feb. 23), featuring a select group of pros, amateur players and guests from the sponsoring ICTSI.
