Clutch eagle, birdie put van der Valk atop leaderboard in TCC Invitational
STA. ROSA, Laguna – Guido van der Valk delivered a masterful performance in a day marked by relentless challenges and dramatic shifts atop the leaderboard, shooting an eagle-spiked 70 to take control of The Country Club Invitational on Thursday.
Overcoming a four-shot deficit from sixth place, van der Valk surged to the top with a clutch birdie on the par-3 17th, capitalizing on his rivals' faltering finishes. Now leading at 217 heading into the final 18 holes, the Dutch-born Manila-based shotmaker is poised for a potential record-tying victory in the P6-million championship.
Turning 45 last Sunday, van der Valk now finds himself ahead of familiar contenders — players he has previously bested en route to his two TCC Invitational titles. Among them is LJ Go, who lost to him by five strokes in the 2023 edition. Go stumbled with two late bogeys, carding a 74 to remain in second place at 219.
Meanwhile, former Philippine Open champion Clyde Mondilla, who lost by a single stroke to van der Valk in 2020, saw his two-shot lead slip away. After struggling early, he briefly shared a view at the top with a birdie on the 10th hole, only to unravel with a costly double bogey on the 16th.
A closing bogey led to a frustrating 77, dropping him to third at 220 — three shots behind the leader but still within striking distance of a breakthrough victory.
Young Aidric Chan briefly held the lead after an even-par run through the first 10 holes, but pressure mounted in the closing stretch. He faltered with a four-over finish in the last six holes, including a damaging double bogey on the treacherous par-4 18th — one of Asia’s toughest finishing holes. His 76 left him tied at 221 with Reymon Jaraula, who also carded a four-over round.
Veteran Jay Bayron struggled with a 77, slipping to joint sixth at 222 alongside Minwook Gwon, who shot a 73.
As history has shown, no lead is ever truly safe at the grueling TCC course, where dramatic comebacks and last-minute collapses have defined its storied past. With the final round looming, van der Valk stands on the brink of redemption, but his challengers remain determined to stage one final twist in this gripping title chase in the blue-ribbon