It’s Que vs Mondilla; Jahns battles Lascuña

STA. ROSA, Laguna — Angelo Que and Keanu Jahns stayed on course for a marquee clash after dispatching their rivals in contrasting styles to reach the quarterfinals of the ICTSI The Country Club Match Play Invitational on Wednesday.

After a soggy opening day left fairways soft and greens tricky, Day 2 brought hot, blustery conditions favoring the more experienced and steady players. Que, feeling much better than 24 hours earlier, made the most of it.

The top seed battled streaky stretches but found his rhythm late to defeat Ryan Monsalve, 2&1, setting up a tantalizing quarterfinal against fellow multi-titled campaigner Clyde Mondilla.

“Feeling much better but not 100 percent yet. Getting better every day,” said Que, who had withdrawn from last Friday’s Philippine Golf Tour (PGT) final at Valley Golf due to a stomach ailment. “It’s match play, so anybody has a chance.”

No. 2 seed Jahns relied on power and near-perfect iron play to beat Jhonnel Ababa, 4&3, earning a blockbuster showdown with five-time PGT Order of Merit winner Tony Lascuña.

“Nothing special,” Jahns said. “I just tried to make pars and avoid penalty shots. Bonus na lang kapag may birdie. Tony always has a very good short game, so it should be a good match.”

Lascuña, who crushed James Ryan Lam, 6&5, in the first round and followed with a 3&2 win over Russell Bautista, expects to counter Jahns’ length with his trademark touch around the greens.

Meanwhile, Mondilla and Reymon Jaraula secured their spots in the Last 8. Mondilla held off rising Saranggani star Jeffren Lumbo, 2&1, while Jaraula drained three birdies, including a crucial one on No. 9, to beat Collin Wheeler, 4&3.

Randy Garalde, who stunned No. 3 Fidel Concepcion on Day 1, continued his strong run with a 2-up win over Gabriel Manotoc, while Michael Bibat edged sixth-ranked Rupert Zaragosa, 1-up, in a tight battle.

Dutch ace Guido van der Valk survived a roller-coaster duel against Atsushi Ueda, regaining control late to seal a 2-up victory on the final hole. “I’m lucky and happy that I got through. It was a good match,” said van der Valk, a two-time TCC Invitational champion.

Thursday promises grueling action with morning quarterfinals and afternoon semifinals. Quarterfinal pairings are loaded with star power: Que vs. Mondilla, van der Valk vs. Bibat, Jaraula vs. Garalde, and Lascuña vs. Jahns. With weather, form, and momentum converging, the Final 8 is set for edge-of-your-seat drama.