Nomura Cup: Philippines slips to third as Bregente falters
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines struggled to find its footing in demanding conditions Wednesday, surrendering its share of second place and slipping to third after the second round of the Nomura Cup at the Bayhood No. 9 International Golf Club in China.
Shin Suzuki battled to an even-par 72 while Jet Hernandez carded a 74, but the Philippines could muster only a two-day total of 288 in the three-to-play, two-to-count format. The result left the Filipinos tied for third with host China and Vietnam, 10 strokes behind a solid Hong Kong side.
Hong Kong produced a superb 138, built around Ethan Tian’s fiery 67 and Markus Lam’s 71, to move to 278 and seize a commanding six-stroke lead over Japan, which stood at 284 after a 142.
The Philippines, which shared second after the opening round, saw its hopes take another hit when Rolando Bregente struggled to a 75 and failed to count in the team total.
Bregente, who electrified the individual competition with a lead-grabbing 69 on Tuesday, was unable to reproduce that form. Starting on the back nine, he bogeyed No. 10 before answering with a birdie on the par-5 14th. He then settled into a string of pars but missed several birdie opportunities before his round unraveled on the par-3 fourth, where he suffered a costly triple bogey.
He closed with another run of pars for a 75 and a 144 aggregate, dropping from the individual lead to a share of fourth. He is now four strokes behind Tian, whose 67 vaulted him to the top of the leaderboard at 140.
Lam also strengthened Hong Kong’s grip on the competition with a steady 71 for 141, moving into second place individually. Japan’s Mao Matsuyama matched Lam’s 71 to reach 142 and take third.
Suzuki, meanwhile, showed flashes of the form the Philippines will need in the final two rounds. He made one birdie and one bogey on the back nine before matching that one-under, one-over pattern on the closing nine to finish at even-par round.
His 147 total left him tied for 14th, alongside Hernandez, who put in a two-over card. Hernandez made two birdies and two bogeys but was undone by a double bogey.
With two rounds still to play, the Philippines remains within striking distance of the chasing pack but faces a sizeable challenge in trying to overhaul Hong Kong.
The Filipinos will need more consistent scoring from Suzuki and Hernandez, while Bregente will look to bounce back from his costly second-round showing and rediscover the aggressive form that carried him to the individual lead on opening day.
The task is daunting, but with 36 holes remaining, the Philippines still has time to mount a comeback and revive its bid for the elusive Nomura Cup crown.
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