STA. Rosa, Laguna – Micah Shin mounted a stirring backside charge to turn what had threatened to become a wild, woolly second-round survival test into a commanding three-stroke lead Wednesday, Jan. 28 – and moved to within 36 holes of repeating at The Country Club Invitational here.

As the rest of the field wilted under the full force of TCC’s notorious challenge – with the wind howling, the heat intensifying and scores soaring – Shin stood his ground. After stumbling to one-over through 11 holes, he struck back with a clutch run of three birdies over four holes from No. 12, then shrugged off a late bogey to post the day’s lone under-par round of 71.

That gritty effort lifted him to two-under 142, three shots clear of a stacked group of proven contenders capable of mounting their own charge as the ₱6.5-million championship reaches its midway point.

A day earlier, TCC had been unusually forgiving. Despite shifting spells of rain and sunshine Tuesday, the course played softer and calmer, allowing players to attack pins and pile up red numbers. The infamous gusts that typically define play at the venerable layout were largely absent.

That changed dramatically in the second round.

“To be honest, I didn’t expect to lead,” said Shin. “It’s pretty windy out there. I drove well, although my short game and putting were a bit off. But I hung in there.”

He could have stretched his lead to four shots, but a three-putt bogey on the 17th stalled the momentum. Still, a scrambling par on the treacherous No. 18 kept him firmly in control.

Interestingly, Shin felt he played better early despite making his move late.

“Actually, I was playing better at the front, but I don’t know – something just didn’t work out,” he said. “Then at the back, I made three birdies and saved par on the last hole.”

As winds swirled unpredictably and exposed TCC’s demanding angles and treacherous greens, Shin seized the moment with a fiery finish. Though a late miscue denied him further separation, his second straight one-under card was more than enough to put him back on course for a second title, eight years after edging Miguel Tabuena by one in 2018.

After missing subsequent editions of the premier event, Shin returned with renewed purpose, his game sharpened by stints on regional tours. And perhaps most ominous for the field, he believes he’s still far from his best.

“I think I’m not still playing to my game, but I played okay,” he said. “I just have to stay humble.”

The way he humbled the field when TCC reverted to its feared form – exacting, unforgiving and merciless to even slight miscalculations – underscored just how dangerous he can be.

First-round leader and two-time champion Guido van der Valk bore the brunt of the course’s fightback. Buffeted by the gusts, the Dutchman closed with four bogeys over his last six holes, capping a round derailed by a bogey-double bogey-bogey skid from No. 5. He followed his opening 67 with a 78.

Still, van der Valk remained very much in the hunt, slipping only to second at 145 alongside a formidable cast that includes Tabuena, Clyde Mondilla and Korean Jaehyun Jung.

Tabuena again stumbled early, bogeying three of his first six holes. But the top-ranked Filipino showed his trademark resolve, stopping the slide with a birdie on No. 8 and closing with a 38 to salvage a 73.

Mondilla, who opened with a 68, also struggled as conditions worsened. A double bogey on the par-4 fifth led to a birdie-less 40 on the front nine. Though he birdied No. 12, bogeys on Nos. 11 and 14 sent him to a 77 – still within striking distance.

Jung, meanwhile, carded a 74 after a gritty 71 in the opening round and emerged as the wildcard among the four closest pursuers.

Carl Corpus, who shone with a 69 on Day 1, endured a harsh reality check. He bogeyed three of his first four holes and compounded the damage with a double bogey on No. 6. A front-nine 41 stalled his momentum, and despite a steadier 37 on the back, a 78 dropped him to joint sixth at 147 with Aidric Chan, who fired a 74.

Three-time champion Angelo Que also faltered, carding a 76 to slip to 149 alongside Sean Ramos, who struggled to a 77. Keanu Jahns mounted a late rally with three birdies from No. 12, only to unravel with a bogey on 16 and a water-logged triple bogey on 17, finishing with a 78 and sliding to joint 10th at 151 with Nilo Salahog, who posted a 76.

With two-time champion Frankie Miñoza withdrawing due to illness, the field was reduced to 29. Still, danger lurks everywhere on the leaderboard. Proven winners and hungry challengers remain well within reach – and at The Country Club, no lead is ever safe and no deficit truly insurmountable.