Ivan Monsalve —CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

With a carefree approach and a hot short game, Ivan Monsalve on Monday fired a one-under-par 71 under trying conditions to take a three-shot lead in the P2 million ICTSI Eagle Ridge Championship and get the latest hunt for a first pro win a big shot in the arm.

As winds buffeted the Faldo layout of the vast complex in Trece Martirez, Cavite, Monsalve stood out from among a mix of tested players and rising stars with a 35-36 effort in grabbing the biggest lead he’s ever had as a pro.

“I just told myself not to expect too much and just have fun,” Monsalve, playing out of Manila Southwoods, said.

READ: Korean grabs Q School pace with Monsalve just one down 

It just wasn’t that way for the others like the fancied Carl Corpus, the rookie coming out of a second-place finish two weeks ago, as he ballooned to an 81, with the champion there, Angelo Que, shooting a 77.

Ladies division

Sean Ramos and South Korea’s Rho Hyun-ho shared second after 74s with LJ Go and Antonio Lascuña leading four others in a group trailing another shot back.

“The key was my short game—I didn’t hit a lot of greens but managed to get up-and-down most of the time,” added Monsalve, whose best career finish was 15th place at Caliraya Springs in 2023. “I also got lucky with some of my reads despite the unpredictable conditions.”

Meanwhile, Gretchen Villacencio was the closest player to par in the P750,000 ladies division, her 75 good enough for a three-shot lead over Sarah Ababa and Kyla Nocum.

Villacencio, a seven-year pro also looking for a maiden triumph, had three birdies against six bogeys as only five players broke 80 on the ultra-demanding layout, with Korean Kim Seo-yun and Mikha Fortuna shooting 79s.

“I really didn’t expect to lead today, but I was just really lucky. God was with me all throughout,” said Villacencio.

A total of 23 players are within six strokes off the Monsalve lead, counting former Philippine Open winner Clyde Mondilla, who shot a 76, and two-time The Country Club Invitational champion Guido van der Valk of The Netherlands. INQ