Golf: Dutchman Guido Van der Valk takes early TCC lead

By Waylon Galvez

STA. ROSA, Laguna – Dutch Guido Van der Valk was the only player to score under par with a 71 on a hot but windy first round for the lead in The Country Club (TCC) Invitational Wednesday at the TCC here.

The 40-year-old Van Der Valk, who is now based in Cebu, mixed his round with birdies on 2, 8 and 13, while picking up bogeys on 11 and 17 in this tournament that kicked off the 2020 season of the Philippine Golf Tour.

Behind by three strokes is Ira Christian Alido, the 18-year-old pro golfer who carded a 74, while five players – including former TCC champion Tony Lascuña – are tied for third to seventh with a 75 in the P5 million event that gives the winner a P1.5 million cash prize.

Van Der Valk said he was just fortunate since it is always a big plus for a player to score under par in the punishing golf course with its long and difficult fairways and windy condition.

“The score was good. Anytime you shoot under in this golf course it’s a bonus,” said Van Der Valk. “It’s just really hard, really long and windy. It’s just a big grind of five hours long.”

Van Der Valk, who won the ICTSI Club Filipino de Cebu Invitational last year, said that the key to keeping his form and hopefully continue with the lead is to keep it simple – hit it at the middle of the fairways and the green.

“Now every round you have to just try again to do the same thing. You just got to hit it one by one because in this golf course anytime it can catch you off guard and if it does then you get to make high number [score].

“So just try the same thing, try to grind away, hit the middle of the fairway, the middle of the green, and try to shoot close to par every day. At the end of the day it’s enough.”

Alido also made three birdies on 3, 10 and 14, but aside from his bogeys on 2, 11 and 16, he made a double bogey on 4, while Lascuña is tied with Jay Bayron, Ropert Zaragosa, Zanieboy Gialon and Ferdie Aunzo.

American Lexus Keoninh is tied for eighth to ninth with Albin Engino with a 76, ahead of former champion Frankie Minoza, who finished with a 77 to share 10th place with reigning Philippine Open champion Clyde Mondilla with similar scores of 77.

Source: Manila Bulletin