Clyde Mondilla hung tough on a day The Country Club course flashed its meanest form, shooting a one-over-par 73 on Wednesday to zoom to a two-stroke lead over a four-man group at the halfway mark of the P6 million TCC Invitational in Sta. Rosa, Laguna.

On a day when the layout yielded only two sub-par rounds and three-level cards on the elite 30-man field, Mondilla played survival of the fittest the best way he can for a 143 aggregate that leads Jay Bayron, Aidric Chan, LJ Go and Reymon Jaraula, who carded a 71.

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Bayron signed for the other 71, with Go, who had a share of the overnight lead, shooting a 76 riddled with six bogeys—four of them coming in a five-hole stretch from No. 13—and Chan signing for two double bogeys and finishing bogey-par-bogey for a 74.

“I’m just glad that I was able to recover, because I didn’t hit it well the whole round,” Mondilla said in Filipino, referring to a front nine 38. “It’s really not over on this course, even if you are entering your final three holes of the day.”

History-seeking Angelo Que returned a 78 to be at 151, with defending champion Antonio Lascuña signing for a 75 to be another shot back like four others, counting Sean Ramos, who also had a 75, and joint first-round leader Dino Villanueva.

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After firing an impressive 69 on Tuesday, nothing went right for Villanueva in the second round as he went birdie-less while signing for a double bogey 6 on No. 12 and nine bogeys in a 41-42 effort.

Dutchman Guido van der Valk had a 72 and moved within five shots of the lead, with Japan’s Kakeru Ozeki another shot back in a three-man group after also shooting a 72.