Dutchman shatters mark with 64, grabs lead

LUBAO, Pampanga, Philippines — Bucking blustery conditions and Pradera’s sleek putting surface, Guido Van der Valk shattered a day-old mark with an eagle-spiked eight-under 64, leap-frogging from joint 35th to the top of the heap, one stroke ahead of Keanu Jahns and Thai Tawit Polthai halfway through the rich ICTSI Pradera Verde Classic here.

Everything he did wrong in a birdie-less 74 Wednesday he did right yesterday, including a lucky pitch-in eagle on the par-4 10th that somehow portended the coming of an explosive round for the Manila-based Dutchman, who ended a long search for a local tour victory in the Philippine Golf Tour Eagle Ridge leg last year.

“I played really good. Everything’s in place, especially my irons and putting,” said Van der Valk, who knocked down an eagle off a 58-degree wedge shot from 60 yards to launch his backside charge. Though he bogeyed the next, he bounced back with seven birdies, including on No. 5 which he bogeyed in the first round, and saved three pars, including on No. 7 where he also dropped a stroke Wednesday.

Van der Valk’s 31-33 also bested Andreas Gronkvist’s 66 that erased the previous course mark of 68. But the Swede lost his touch in hot, blustery condition and limped with a 74, dropping to third with Mars Pucay and Thai Namchok Tantipokhakul at 140 with 36 holes left in the $100,000 event.

Jahns actually seized control with a five-under card after 14 holes for a running seven-under total but the Fil-German shotmaker bogeyed Nos. 6 and 7 on his way home and settled for a 69 and a 139, which Polthai matched with an eagle-spiked 66.

Pucay turned in a second 70.