Dumdumaya, Suzuki make the cut; Laopakdee stays on top

MANILA, Philippines — Jaden Dumdumaya battled through another difficult round, carding a second straight 73 to safely secure a weekend berth, while defending champion Fifa Laopakdee retained his grip on the lead in the Asia-Pacific Golf Championship at the Te Arai Links South Course in New Zealand on Friday.

Dumdumaya once again found himself fighting an uphill battle after a shaky start, bogeying the first two holes. He briefly regained his footing with birdies on Nos. 3 and 7 but suffered another costly setback with a double bogey on the challenging ninth hole.

The Filipino failed to make much headway on the back nine, mixing a birdie with a bogey to close with a 37-36 card and a two-round total of four-over 146.

Still, his steady second-round score proved enough to lift him 10 places to a share of 19th, keeping him firmly in contention for a stronger finish over the weekend, although he remains a considerable distance behind the frontrunning Laopakdee.

The Thai ace, meanwhile, saw his scorching opening-round performance give way to a more subdued 72 but did just enough to preserve his advantage. After a four-over stretch threatened to derail his round, Laopakdee showed the poise of a defending champion, closing with three birdies over his final seven holes to salvage a one-over card and post a 135 aggregate.

His recovery, however, allowed the chasing pack to make significant inroads, setting up an intriguing weekend showdown. New Zealand's Cooper Moore and Ryan Xie emerged as his closest pursuers, matching 137 totals after rounds of 70 and 71, respectively, just two strokes off the pace.

The stakes are particularly high, with the tournament champion earning coveted spots in next year's Masters Tournament and The Open Championship.

Elsewhere, Shinichi Suzuki battled his way into the weekend despite a 77, finishing at 155, 11-over-par. His second-round effort was still enough to move him up 11 places into a share of 55th, just above the projected cut line.

Meanwhile, Rolando Bregente bowed out after a 77 left him with a 158 total, while Chris Remata also failed to advance, finishing at 165 following an 81.

With Laopakdee still holding the advantage but the gap narrowing, the weekend rounds promise a compelling test of composure and consistency on the demanding Te Arai layout.