Miñoza slips to joint seventh in Casio Open

Frankie Miñoza slowed down a bit with a two-under par 70 yesterday, slipping to joint seventh halfway through the rich Casio Open golf championship paced by Katsumune Imai at the Tbusuki Golf Club course in Tbusuki, Western Japan.

Miñoza, seeking what could be his best finish in the year, pooled a 36-hole aggregate of 138, counting his fiery 68 Thursday that put him in joint fifth, just three strokes off Imai, who shot a 65 for the second straight day.

But the ace Filipino shotmaker, who missed the cut eight times in 21 events he had competed in this year with a best ninth place finish in the Sun Chlorella Classic in Hokkaido last August, could only churn out a 34-36 card in the second round, needing to birdie the par-5 18th to remain in the top 10.

However, Imai’s fiery stint drove a wedge between the leader and his pursuers as unfancied Japanese, gunning for his first title on the tour, built a four-shot lead over Jyoti Randhawa of India with an eagle-aided seven-under card for a 14-under 130 total. Randhawa fired a 66 for a 134 while another Japanese Mamoru Osanai shot an eagle-spiked 66 to be at 131.

Like in the first round, Miñoza opened with a birdie on the par-4 No. 1 but gave back the stroke right on the next after missing the green before birdying two of the next seven holes. He three-putted No. 10, rescued a par from the bunker on the next before holing out with a birdie.