Que saves 72, trails by 5 in The Singapore International golf tourney

MANILA, Philippines – Angelo Que held his ground coming off a long layoff, producing a late frontside birdie to save an even par 72 although he trailed Khalin Joshi of India by five at the start of The Singapore International at Tanah Merah Country Club’s Tampines course Thursday.

Que, a three-time Asian Tour winner, including the Philippine Open at Wack in 2008, also checked an early struggle on the sleek putting surface, salvaging five pars in seven times that he went out of regulation following a three-putt miscue on No. 11 of the 7,535-yard layout, highlighting his pair of 36s with a chip-in birdie on the par-4 17th.

That netted him a share of 10th as majority of the starting 127-player field groped trying to find their form in the early going of the $1 million event, the first of two money-rich championships wrapping up the integrated 2020-21 seasons of the Asian Tour.

The $1.2 million Singapore Open, which also serves as part of the European Tour and the Japan Golf Tour, will be played next week at Sentosa’s Serapong course with the event also offering spots to this year’s British Open.

The Asian Tour will also host the controversial Saudi International next February, kicking off a busy season following the circuit’s linkup with the Saudi group which is investing $200 million to launch a 10-event series this year.

The Saudi event will feature a number of top-ranked players on the PGA Tour, including 3Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, Xander Schauffele and Phil Mickelson.

Meanwhile, Que recovered from an early putting woes and a missed green bogey on No. 14 with birdies on Nos. 15 and 17 then bounced back from another bogey mishap on No. 2 with a birdie on the par-5 No. 8 before going up-and-down on the ninth.

Other even par scorers were current Asian Tour Order of Merit leader Wade Ormsby of Australia, Korean Bio Kim, former Philippine Open champion Berry Henson of the US, Koreans Kim Joo Hyung and Hongtaek Kim, Abhijit Chandra of India, Swede Bjorn Hellgren, Masanori Kobayashi of Japan and Aussie Ben Eccles.

While most of those in the afternoon wave struggled, Joshi made it look quite easy with a run of four pars for an opening backside 32. He went five-under with another birdie on the first hole but dropped two strokes in the next three holes but recovered them with birdies on Nos. 5 and 8.

That 35-32 card got him past England’s William Harrold, who held the clubhouse lead with a 69 until Joshi charged home at dusk and wrested a two-stroke lead with a 67.

Harrold, who has four career wins but has not played in any tournament since 2017, hardly showed any rusts, birdying two of the first seven holes then hitting a pitch-in eagle on the par-5 No. 8 to make the turn at 32.

He shot another birdie on No. 11 but wavered with three bogeys against a birdie in the last six holes to settle for a 69.

American Paul Peterson and Ajeetesh Sandhu of India matched 70s for joint third while Thais Jazz Janewattananond and Pavit Tangkamolprasert, Taiwan’s Chan Shih Chang and Mathiam Keysey of South Africa all shot 71s.

Peterson actually yielded to Que with a backside 37 in a threesome with England’s Steve Lewton, another Philippine Open winner, but hit his strike late, birdying No. 5 then closing out with back-to-back feats for a 33-37.

Lewton, who won the Philippine Open via playoff at The Country Club in 2017, ended up with a 73.

Others in the early hunt are fancied Thai Jazz Janewattananond, who fired a 71 for a provisional share of fourth with Taiwanese Chan Shih-Chang, who won one of the two Thailand that marked the Asian Tour restart in November after a 20-month hiatus due to pandemic.

Chan actually put in the best start of four straight birdies at the back but failed to sustain his hot charge, fumbling with five bogeys against two more birdies for a 38-33.