LUBAO, Pampanga — Carl Corpus made a rousing return to the Philippine Golf Tour, turning a late burst of birdies into a five-under 67 to force a three-way tie for the lead with Zanieboy Gialon and Russell Bautista as the ICTSI Pradera Verde Championship erupted into a low-scoring shootout at the Pradera Verde Golf and Country Club’s Arayat course on Tuesday.

After last week’s demanding test at Pinewoods Golf Club, where the mountain layout forced players to temper their aggression, the tour found an entirely different challenge here.

The expansive, wide-open Arayat course encouraged drivers to be unleashed, and with the usually troublesome wind nowhere to be found during the morning wave, the players wasted little time attacking flags despite the sweltering conditions.

The result was a considerable run of under-par rounds, with power hitters and shot-makers taking full advantage of receptive scoring conditions in the fourth leg of the 10-stage circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc.

Corpus looked headed for an ordinary start after birdie-bogey start from No. 1. But a birdie on the seventh sparked a remarkable turnaround as he caught fire with six birdies over a seven-hole, spiked by a five-birdie spree from No. 9, transforming an even-par round into one of the tournament’s three best opening efforts.

“I don’t think I did anything differently. The putts just dropped, and I’m fortunate they did,” said Corpus, who struggled to joint 37th place at Caliraya Springs before skipping the Pinewoods leg.

He later admitted he initially underestimated the course’s scoring potential.

“At first, I didn’t think the course was scoreable, but after today, I realized that if you stay patient and make your putts, you can definitely score here,” he said.

He also praised the course conditions, particularly the greens.

“The greens are in excellent shape, and I hit my approach shots close,” said Corpus, whose five straight birdies came from an average distance of 12 feet. “I haven’t putted on greens this good in a while, so I was excited to be out there.”

With an early three-way battle unfolding, Corpus said he won’t change his approach over the next three rounds.

“The game plan stays the same — be patient, enjoy my game, and give my best on every shot. If the putts drop, they drop,” he said.

Gialon, a former Pradera Verde club pro, appeared poised to match — or even surpass — Corpus after recovering spectacularly from two bogeys in his first five holes with a blistering stretch of seven birdies over the next 10. Leveraging his familiarity with the Mike Singgaran-designed layout, Gialon carved up the course with precision and confidence.

“Yes, being familiar with the course definitely helped. I also have an advantage because I get to play here almost every day,” said Gialon in Filipino.

Gialon endured a shaky start but quickly recovered, drawing on his local knowledge to ignite a strong comeback.

“Even after the two bogeys, I stayed focused. When I birdied No. 6, it gave me confidence, and the birdies just kept coming,” Gialon said.

With calm conditions and receptive scoring opportunities, Gialon believes the course rewarded aggressive but calculated play.

“There wasn’t much wind, so the scoring was pretty good, and the par-5s were reachable. I just hope my putting stays sharp, especially my green reading and distance control,” he added.

Meanwhile, Bautista launched his campaign with a blazing back-nine start, carding four birdies, including three straight to close his opening nine. A bogey on the par-3 No. 2 briefly slowed his momentum, but he bounced back with a gutsy par save on the par-5 next after a mishit 3-wood on his second shot found the water. He recovered brilliantly, knocking his approach to within pin-high range before converting the par, then birdied Nos. 4 and 6 to join Corpus and Gialon at the top.

“It was hot and there was no wind, so staying hydrated was very important to keep my condition up. You also have to be careful on the par-3s because they can be very demanding,” said Bautista in Filipino, who narrowly missed his maiden Philippine Golf Tour title after falling to Jeffren Lumbo in a marathon five-hole playoff at South Pacific last year.

Lurking just a stroke off the pace at 66 were big-hitting Keanu Jahns and Tony Lascuña, who matched 68s with the former charging back with four birdies in the last seven holes, and the latter missing forcing a four-way tie with a late miscue on the 16th.

A formidable group of five players, including defending champion Angelo Que, Gab Manotoc, Collin Wheeler, Kuresh Samanodi and Lumbo, matched 69s, while Clyde Mondilla and Rupert Zaragosa posted identical 70s, keeping the leaderboard tightly packed heading into the second round of the P2 million championship.