Two eagles lift Que to share of lead

MANILA, Philippines - Angelo Que, out to close out the season the way he started it, fired two eagles for a seven-under 65 and a share of the lead with Japanese Tetsuji Hiratsuka in the rich Black Mountain Masters at the Black Mountain Golf Club in Hua Hin, Thailand yesterday.

Que actually missed grabbing the solo lead when he holed out with a bogey on No. 9, enabling Hiratsuka to gain a share of it. The Japanese bet sizzled with a six-under 30 at the front, the backside of his game, highlighted by four straight birdies from No. 6.

Korean Lee Sung and Thai Chapchai Nirat turned in a pair of six-under 66s to trail the joint leaders by one while India’s SSP Chowrasia, Udorn Duangdecha of Thailand and Swiss Martin Rominger all shot 67s.

Five players, including Thai ace Thongchai Jaidee, came through with similar 68s, while a host of others stood just a stroke of two behind, ensuring a wide-open race in the $600,000 event, the final tournament of this year’s Asian Tour.

Que, who kicked off his 2010 campaign with a runaway victory in The Country Club Invitational back home in January, teed off at the backside and rammed in an eagle-3 on No. 13, birdied the next before holing out with another birdie for a 32.

He knocked in another birdie on No. 2 then eagled the par-5 sixth before sinking another birdie on the next for a stirring eight-under par.

But he fumbled with a bogey on the ninth, dropping to a share of the lead with Hiratsuka, who anchored his 65 on a fiery four-birdie windup.

Que is actually shooting for a second Asian Tour victory this year after nipping Englishman Chris Rodgers in the playoff to win the Selangor Masters in Malaysia last August. The power-hitting Filipino shotmaker scored a breakthrough win on the Tour in Vietnam in 2004 then triumphed in the Philippine Open at Wack Wack in 2008.