Brilliant Bibat

BUKIDNON — Michael Bibat, seeking redemption after a stretch of underwhelming finishes, delivered a blistering 65 to grab the first-round lead at the ICTSI Del Monte Championship here on Tuesday, upstaging a fast-starting Elee Bisera and a record-breaking Taewon Ha at the Del Monte Golf Club.

Bibat, who has been largely off the radar since his last win at Eagle Ridge in 2022, finally showcased the form that once made him an Asian Games bronze medalist. His bogey-free round in hot and humid conditions at this mountain-top course marked a potential turning point in his career resurgence.

“I didn’t expect to shoot this low, but I tried to be careful to avoid bogeys,” said Bibat, who strung together a flawless 31-34 round that showcased his precision off the tee, sharp iron play and superb putting.

“The goal was to lessen the mistakes — hit the fairways and greens — then be aggressive with the putter,” he said. “I gave myself so many chances to make birdies.”

Despite emerging as the early frontrunner, Bibat was quick to keep expectations in check.

“Just don’t get ahead of myself in the next three rounds,” he said, knowing full well that consistency will be key to turning his strong start into a long-awaited championship finish in this P3.5-million event organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc.

Starting on No. 10, Bibat picked up two early birdies before catching fire on the front, birdieing No. 1 and then rattling off three straight from No. 4. He capped his round by taming the par-5 ninth with another birdie, edging out Bisera by one.

Bisera nearly matched Bibat’s brilliance, birdieing three of his last five holes to post an impressive 66 and briefly tie for the lead — until Bibat’s final-hole birdie pushed him ahead.

“My target was to shoot even-par, but everything just clicked — from driving to my short game. But my putting was especially on point,” said Bisera in Filipino, who took full advantage of the receptive greens to create several birdie chances.

Starting on the first hole, the Davaoeño strung together a solid run of pars before igniting his round with four consecutive birdies from No. 8. Though he dropped a shot on the 13th after an errant drive, he quickly regained momentum with birdies on Nos. 14, 16 and 18 to keep himself firmly in early contention.

Meanwhile, Ha threatened to steal the show with a jaw-dropping 29 at the back where he teed off, setting a new tournament record. His run featured five birdies and an eagle, eclipsing the previous benchmark 31 set by Clyde Mondilla during his first-round 64 en route to winning the 2023 edition.

However, Ha couldn’t sustain the momentum, bogeying Nos. 3 and 5 on the front nine to settle for a 67, good for a share of third with Ryan Monsalve and compatriot Chon Koo Kang.

While Bibat and Bisera downplayed their early leads with cautious optimism, Ha came into the event expecting fireworks — backed by recent form.

“I had a feeling I would play well because I hit my best score just recently,” said the 22-year-old Incheon native, referring to a scorching nine-under round in a practice session at Pradera Verde, where he regularly trains. “Today, my putting was better than usual — that’s why I shot a 29 on the back nine.”

Ha’s brilliant opening stretch, featuring five birdies and an eagle, set a new course nine-hole scoring record. But the Del Monte frontside proved to be a different beast.

“The front nine was tougher, and my putter didn’t hold up,” said Ha, who stumbled with two bogeys and failed to card a birdie coming home.

Despite the late stumble, his explosive start was enough to keep him in early contention for a breakthrough win on the Philippine Golf Tour.

“There’s pressure and nerves, but I’m just focusing on every shot. I know I can play well,” he added.

Monsalve, meanwhile, shook off an early stumble to produce one of his most explosive Tour starts, firing a 34-33. After bogeying the par-4 second, he came alive with six birdies in his last 13 holes — capitalizing on all four par-5s and adding two more on short par-4s to highlight a powerful finish.

“After that bogey on No. 2, I just focused on taking advantage of the scorable holes and birdied Nos. 6, 9, 14 and 18 — all par-5s,” Monsalve said.

A key turning point, he noted, came at the par-4 10th, where a clutch par-save settled his nerves.

“I started to feel more comfortable after that,” he added. “Then I hit a really good tee shot on the 12th, which is one of the tougher par-3s here, and that helped maintain the momentum.”

Korean Chon Koo Kang also fought back from adversity, recovering from a rough patch on the back nine where he went bogey-double bogey on Nos. 12 and 13. Earlier, he had sparked his round with five birdies, and he finished strong with three more in his last five holes to salvage a 67 and join Monsalve and Ha in a share of third.