Putting woes slow down Go, but Cebuano ace stays in title hunt

MANILA, Philippines -- Lloyd Go overcame putting woes and carded a gritty, one-under 71 to remain firmly in contention at joint fifth after 36 holes of the IGPL Bharath Classic at the Mazagan Beach and Golf Resort in Morocco on Friday (Saturday Manila time.)

While Go couldn't quite match his blistering opening-round 68, his steady two-birdie, one-bogey performance in the second round kept him in the hunt with a 139 total – just four strokes behind co-leaders Settee Prakongvech and Runchanapong Youprayong.

The Cebuano ace continued to flash spectacular form off the tee, hitting all 14 fairways after missing just one on opening day. He also sustained his sharp iron and wedge play, hitting 15 greens in regulation for the second consecutive day. However, his putter remained cold, requiring 33 putts to navigate the par-72 layout.

Despite the struggles on the green, the Philippine Golf Tour standout remained optimistic about making a major move in the pivotal third round of the $500,000 Asian Tour event. With his long and short game clicking, a warmer putter could easily thrust the Filipino right into the thick of the title race come Sunday.

Meanwhile, the Thai duo of Prakongvech and Youprayong seized control at the top with a 135 total after 65 and 70, respectively. They hold a three-shot cushion over Ekpharit Wu (67) and Niklas Regner (72), who sit tied for third at 138.

It was a mixed day for the Philippine contingent, as Carl Corpus and Justin Quiban both missed the cut. 

Corpus, who claimed an Asian Development Tour breakthrough in Morocco last year, faltered with a 78 after a strong opening 68, missing the weekend cut by just one stroke. 

Quiban also bowed out early after registering back-to-back 74s.