STA. ROSA, Laguna — A battle-hardened veteran with unfinished business seized early control of the leaderboard, shooting a five-under 67 to grab a one-stroke lead as another compelling chase for The Country Club (TCC) Invitational crown took shape on Tuesday.

Guido van der Valk, shrugging off memories of a painful closing stumble a year ago, leaned on a blistering frontside and a strong finish to move one clear of Clyde Mondilla on a day shaped by shifting weather and a demanding layout.

A two-time winner at TCC in 2020 and 2023, Van der Valk wasted little time asserting himself.

He opened with three straight birdies from No. 2, showcasing crisp iron play and confident putting as he set the early pace.

The Dutchman stayed composed as conditions toughened, navigating heat and intermittent rain while holding firm on TCC’s unforgiving back nine.

He reached four-under with another birdie on the 10th, then rebounded from a slip on the demanding par-3 No. 11 with clutch birdies on Nos. 14 and 17 to maintain his edge.

“Today was very nice because there wasn’t much wind,” said Van der Valk.

“It was raining, but hardly any breeze, which is very rare on this course. If the wind picks up, the scores will definitely go up and anything can happen. I’ll just keep playing my game. It’s a long week, but at least I got off to a good start.”

Mondilla mounted a spirited charge after turning in even-par 36, igniting a scorching backside run of five birdies over eight holes — including three straight from No. 13 — to briefly tie Van der Valk at the top.

But a costly bogey on the exacting par-4 18th dropped him back to solo second with a 68.

“I hit a bad drive into the rough and couldn’t get up-and-down,” Mondilla said of his final-hole miscue.

The multi-titled ace from Del Monte credited a hot putter and sharper iron play for his back-nine surge.

Also thrusting himself into early contention was rising star Carl Corpus, who carded a gutsy 69 to underscore his readiness to contend in the flagship tournament of the Philippine Golf Tour season.