STA. ROSA, Laguna – Lloyd Go rallied with three birdies in the last five holes to match Dino Villanueva atop the leaderboard with a three-under 69 in the opening round of The Country Club Invitational 2025 on Thursday.
Go’s strong finish in blustery conditions tied him with Villanueva, who had a dominant front nine. Clyde Mondilla, who carded a 70, was third, while Aidric Chan and Gwon Minwook shared fourth with 71s in the P6 million tournament, the flagship event of the Philippine Golf Tour season.
Go, coming off a breakthrough win at PGT Palos Verdes last year, started his 2025 campaign impressively. Despite facing stronger winds in the final morning flight, he hit his irons well for his best score at the challenging TCC layout.
“I hit it really good, the numbers were ideal for my full swings,” Go said, focusing more on his game than the leaderboard. “I knew the lead was three under, but I didn’t mind it because anything can happen on this course.”
Villanueva began with a scorching five-under 31 on the front nine, highlighted by a precision wedge shot at No. 4 that left him a foot from the hole. But he dropped strokes on Nos. 13 and 14, still managing to hold on to the lead.
Mondilla, the 2019 Philippine Open champion at TCC, mixed five birdies with three bogeys. However, he struggled to capitalize on par-5 opportunities.
Korean Gwon Minwook briefly joined the leaders with a birdie on No. 14 but faltered as the winds intensified.
Three-time TCC Invitational champion Angelo Que shot a one-over 73, tied for sixth with Ryan Monsalve and Nilo Salahog. Several others, including Jhonnel Ababa and defending champion Tony Lascuña, were still within striking distance.