By Edwin Rollon
TARLAC CITY — Clyde Mondilla thought his week at the BingoPlus Philippines ADT (Asian Development Tour) Open was a failure.
The veteran Filipino golfer had already packed his clubs, loaded them into his vehicle, and was cruising along the North Luzon Expressway, eager to return home to his family after five days of intense competition at the prestigious Luisita Golf and Country Club.
Little did he know that a life-changing phone call was about to alter his journey.
"While I was already on the highway, an ADT official called and asked me to return, as they had awarded me one of the two local slots for the Asian Tour. What happened surprised and excited me," said Mondilla.
Although the 32-year-old father of two fell short of securing a direct qualification spot through his finish in the tournament, fortune smiled on him after the event.
Mondilla closed out his campaign with a solid four-under-par 68 to finish tied for a 11th place at 280, ending up as the third-best Filipino behind Sean Ramos and Angelo Que.
Ramos emerged as the top local performer after firing a one-under-par 71 for a 277 total, good for a share of fifth place alongside Thailand’s Suttinon Panyo and England’s Thomas Plumb. Que, meanwhile, finished tied for ninth at 278 following a final-round 69.
However, Que was already exempt as a former Asian Tour winner, allowing Mondilla to claim the second local berth alongside Ramos for upcoming Asian Tour events, including the highly anticipated International Series Philippines (ISP) Philippine Open in November at the Southwoods.
“Angelo already qualified as a former Asian Tour winner, so the second slot went to me together with Sean,” Mondilla explained. “It’s a great opportunity to play in the International Series. I’m thankful to Luisita, BingoPlus and the ADT.”
The opportunity carries special significance for Mondilla, who captured the Philippine Open crown in 2019 at The Country Club before the national championship went on hiatus during the pandemic.
“Masaya ako talaga dahil makakalaro tayo sa Philippine Open as an event under the Asian Tour,” said Mondilla, a 15-time Philippine Golf Tour champion. “Mahaba-haba pa ang preparation natin.”
While Mondilla celebrated an unexpected breakthrough, Italian Michele Ortolani emerged as the tournament champion after edging a tightly contested final round.
Ortolani carded a three-under-par 69 to finish at 272 and secure a one-shot victory over Chinese Taipei’s Su Ching Hung. Malaysia’s Galven Green and Argentina’s Franco Scorzato shared third place with Green at 274.
The Italian produced four birdies against a lone bogey and maintained his composure in the closing stretch to capture his first Asian Development Tour title of the season, following a runner-up finish at the Singha-SAT Hua Hin Championship in Thailand last April.
“I’m still processing that my name is finally on top,” said Ortolani. “Even though I made it look easy, it’s been 10 years since I’ve won internationally.”
“My family and I were extremely emotional, especially knowing they were there to support me,” he added.
After rounds of 70, 68, 65, and 69, Ortolani pocketed the $17,500 top prize and strengthened his push for a place on the main Asian Tour.
“This is the way I decided to play the final round. This is the way I’m going to play, and that’s what I did,” he said. “I’m very happy and proud of myself for that.”
