STA. ROSA, Laguna — “We need to go deep.”

Those were the words of Clyde Mondilla, and they might just sum up what every Filipino contender is thinking heading into the next round of the International Series Philippines presented by BingoPlus at Sta. Elena Golf and Country Club.

After a challenging day on the demanding Laguna layout, Mondilla knows the only way to stay in the hunt this weekend is to go low — really low.

With the world’s best circling the leaderboard, it’s time for the Pinoys to dig deep, swing harder, and chase those red numbers under pressure. The stage is set. The mission is clear.

The 2019 Philippine Open champion drained an eight-foot birdie putt on the ninth, his final hole, to cap a gritty three-under-par 69 — a score matched in the afternoon by Miguel Tabuena.

“I didn’t putt well in the first nine, but my putter clicked at the back,” said Mondilla, who vowed to come out more aggressive in the next round after a shaky start that saw him bogey two holes against a lone birdie to make the turn at one-over.

From there, the 31-year-old Del Monte ace turned it around in style — firing four birdies on the homeward nine, including three in his closing stretch, to put himself right back in contention.

Momentum gained. Confidence restored. The weekend just got a lot more interesting.

Before Clyde Mondilla signed his card, fellow Filipinos Justin Quiban and Angelo Que had already turned in matching two-under-par 70s.

Quiban, who opened at the back nine, lamented the bogeys that bookended his front nine but bounced back spectacularly with two eagles on Nos. 3 and 8 to steady his round.

“It didn’t really come out as anything as solid as I wanted it to be,” he said, referring to the bogeys he made on 10, his opening hole, and 18.

“I told myself, just stick in there. And then I did another eagle on the eighth, which put me on the red numbers, which I’ll take all day with the way I was putting it.”

Que, meanwhile, leaned on his trademark composure, riding a two-birdie burst to start his back nine to secure yet another sub-par finish — a reminder of why he remains a crowd favorite.

“Kupas na,” Que replied when a spectator remarked, “Walang kakupas, kupas.”

Paired with major champions Dustin Johnson and Louis Oosthuizen, 31-year-old Miguel Tabuena rose to the occasion. After a rough patch earlier, he finished strong by carding three birdies in the final four holes.

His clutch bunker shot on the 18th hole, landing within two feet, sparked a huge roar from the packed crowd following the marquee group — a thrilling moment that showed Tabuena’s grit and skill under pressure.

After a challenging Thursday, the rest of the Filipino contenders know what’s at stake — they need a big, bold round on Friday to punch their ticket into weekend play.

Carl Jano Corpus and Keanu Jahns led the charge with solid 72s, keeping their hopes alive. Not far behind, Enrico Gallardo returned a 73, Rupert Zaragosa and Sean Ramos each posted 74s, while Aidric Chan battled through a tough day with a 75.

Amateur standout Perry Bucay faced a tough test, carding a 77.