‘There was pressure, of course. But I was excited, because it’s a different feeling when you see a lot of people supporting you.’
CLYDE Mondilla’s triumph is made extra special by the fact that it was where he first took up the sport, and that it was his father who was on the bag. | PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF PGT
BUKIDNON — Clyde Mondilla snatched victory from the jaws of defeat, scoring a 69 amid battle of nerves to capture the ICTSI Del Monte Championship right at his hometown on Friday.
Blowing a one-shot lead entering the final round after a faulty front 9, Mondilla rallied from three shots down to stave off the attempts of Reymon Jaraula and Justin Quiban by one.
He capped it with a tap-in birdie putt to the cheers of the gallery cheering for him since Day 1.
"This win is very special," said Mondilla, whose 18-under 270 total on his home course, worth P437,500, matched his output in essaying a five-shot romp over Angelo Que and Dino Villanueva at Forest Hills last June.
"It's actually my goal to win here at home, where I learned to play the sport," he added. "So I'm really, really very happy and thankful."
Unlike in his Forest Hills triumph, however, Mondilla needed to rally in the stretch, capping his startling comeback with a chip shot in front of the 18th green which he has probably mastered while growing up, the ball bouncing once before rolling two feet left of the cup.
Jaraula, who also grew up here, chipped way past the hole and missed a playoff-clinching birdie putt from six feet and also finished with a 69 while Quiban reached the green in two but three-putted also for a three-under card.
"I was 3-down with four holes left, so I thought I should at least fight for second although I had to do better," Mondilla said.
"But after birdying Nos. 16 and 17, I found myself tied at the lead and I knew I had the edge to go for a closing birdie after I hit a solid drive on No. 18."
"There was pressure, of course. But I was excited, because it's a different feeling when you see a lot of people supporting you," added Mondilla, who thanked the Del Monte Golf Club and cited his father-caddie Arsenio's tournament-long help.
"It's actually my father who is the better player," he said in jest.
Jaraula, who took control with a solid four-under card after 10 holes, bogeyed No. 15 and failed to match any of Mondilla's closing birdies, missing forcing a playoff with a flubbed birdie putt on the 72nd hole.
The runaway Valley leg winner also wound up with a 69 marred by a bogey on No. 15 as he pooled a 271 for second after limping to 21st at Forest Hills. He received P287,500.
Quiban, two behind Mondilla after 54 holes, fueled his own title drive, also in late fashion as he rattled off three birdies in a four-hole stretch from No. 11 to tie Jaraula at 17-under. But he came undone with a costly bogey on the tight par-4 No. 17 following a missed drive.
He also finished with a 69 and took third place with 272 worth P162,500.
