Late charge keeps Ramos, Gallardo in ADT Open mix
MANILA, Philippines — Sean Ramos and Enrico Gallardo produced strong finishes to salvage identical one-under 71s, keeping themselves within striking distance despite trailing co-leaders Faisal Salhab, Tawit Polthai and Hung Chien-Yao by five strokes after 18 holes of the HCT ADT Open at Hsin Feng Golf Country Club in Taiwan on Tuesday.
Seeking redemption after missing the cut in last week's Ambassador's ADT Open, also in Taiwan, Ramos came through with the day's biggest highlight for the Filipino contingent. The Philippine Golf Tour campaigner birdied the fourth, stumbled with bogeys on Nos. 7 and 10, then ignited his round with an eagle on the par-5 14th to card a 36-35 and emerge as the joint-best Filipino after 18 holes.
Ramos is eager to bounce back following a frustrating stretch that included another playoff heartbreak at the ADT Vietnam before last week's missed cut. His late eagle could provide the momentum he needs heading into the second round as he looks to mount a charge in the $120,000 Asian Development Tour event.
Gallardo likewise recovered impressively after slipping to two-over through eight holes. He sparked his turnaround with a birdie on the ninth before taking advantage of the closing par-5s on the back nine, finishing with a 37-34 for a 71. He joined Ramos and a large group tied for 30th place, still well within reach of the leaders.
Gab Manotoc also showed resilience after a difficult opening stretch. Starting on the back nine, he mixed four bogeys with a lone birdie before regaining ground with birdies on Nos. 3 and 9 on his inward nine. His one-over 73 left him tied for 68th, leaving work to do in the second round to advance.
At the top of the leaderboard, Salhab, Polthai and Hung matched 66s to grab a share of the lead. Chang Wei-Lun headed a group one shot back at 67, while Su Ching Hung, Yusuke Iida and several others opened with 68s to keep the leaderboard tightly packed heading into Wednesday's second round.
- Latest
- Trending
