Atthaya Thitikul grabs lead; Bianca Pagdanganan, Lois Go one down

SILANG, Cavite, Philippines  —  Thai Atthaya Thitikul came out better than Lois Go and Bianca Pagdanganan in a bogey-marred finish among the fancied bets, salvaging a birdie on No. 15 to card a 75 and wrest a one-stroke lead even as Jang Sung Hun hung tough in men’s play despite a 79 halfway through the Philippine Amateur Open Golf Championships at Riviera’s Langer course here yesterday.

Go took charge with birdies in the first two holes but the member of the Asian Games gold medal winning team lost her rhythm and touch at the back, closing out with a 41 for a 74, and enabling Thitikul to seize control in women’s play at 144.

That was one stroke ahead of Go, who bogeyed three of the first five holes at the back and holed out with back-to-back bogeys in a flight ahead of Thitikul, who also saw flightmate Pagdanganan drop strokes on the last two holes for a 78. Despite their fumbling finishes, Go and Pagdanganan stayed in the hunt at 145, setting up a thrilling third round battle among the chief contenders today.

Thitikul also bogeyed two of the last three holes but her birdie on No. 15 served as a cushion as the fancied bets scrambled to survive in tough conditions on the hazard-laden windy layout that punishes the slightest of mistakes.

Earlier, Kim Heeji, runner-up here last year, carded a 75 for a 147 while Junia Gabasa shot the day’s best of 72 in ladies play for a 149 for fifth in the event sponsored by the MVP Sports Foundation and backed by Cignal, Metro Pacific and official hotel Summit Ridge.

Pagdanganan, awesome with a closing 31 at the front for a 67 Thursday, proved awful with a 42 this time. Though she birdied the first two holes at the back, the Asiad bronze medalist lost crack at regaining the lead with that faltering finish.

Impressive with a 69 Thursday, Jang struggled all day in severe conditions, limping with three double bogeys and four bogeys with only two birdies for a 38-41 card and a 148 with 36 holes to play in the event organized and conducted by the National Golf Association of the Philippines.

Ivan Monsalve missed grabbing the lead with a double-bogey mishap on No. 9, settling for a 74 and a 149 with Paolo Wong also churning out a 74 for a 151 in a tie with Thai Vanchai Luangnitikul (77), Japanese Atsushi Ueda (78) and Weiwei Gao (79) even as Aidric Chan hobbled with a 78 for a 152.

Gen Nagai, who turned in a 72 in the first round, skied to an 81 in a bogey-marred, birdie-less 41-40 card and fell to 153 in a tie with American Chris Yeom (76) while Korean Kim Tae Soo (79) and Singaporean Lucius Toh (83) stood at 154 followed by Carl Corpus, who bounced back from a 79 with a 76 for a 155.

The top 40 players in men’s play and the top 16 in the women’s category head to the final 36 holes of the event which drew one of the strongest casts in years.