4 seize control as Kemmer falls

MANILA, Philippines - Two players from Thailand, an Australian and a Taiwanese moved up the leaderboard yesterday as Juvic Pagunsan’s withdrawal created some stir in the second day of the $300,000 Solaire Open at the Wack Wack Golf and Country Club.

Thammanoon Sriroj, a five-time winner on the Asian Tour but never a champion over the last eight years, carded one of three 69s on a hot and windless day while Thai compatriot Kwanchai Tannin had a 71 for a 142 total at the halfway mark.

Australia’s Matt Jager went even par and Taipei’s Lin Wen-tang scored a 73 after an opening-round 69 as they joined the two players from Thailand in the lead heading to the weekend play of the seventh leg of the Asian Tour offering a top purse of $54,000.

American Dodge Kemmer, the opening-day leader after a solid 66, struggled with a 79. After hitting six birdies last Thursday, he picked up seven bogeys on Nos. 1, 4, 7, 14, 16, 17 and 18, his two-shot lead now a three-shot deficit.

Tied for fifth at 143 were Korea’s Kim Gi-whan (71), Canada’s Richard Lee (71), the Philippines’ Elmer Salvador (69) and Thailand’s Pawin Ingkhapradit who shot a 75 after a sizzling round of 68 Thursday. Six players were at 144.

But some of clubhouse talk whirled around Pagunsan’s withdrawal from the rich event sponsored by Solaire Resort and Casino, the country’s newest tourist destination. The 2011 Asian Tour Order of Merit winner did not show up for his tee-off time after informing organizers he had to attend to his wife who’s about to give birth.

His withdrawal, however, doesn’t mean the end of the road for the Filipinos.

Salvador, for one, is just a shot behind the leaders. He said he will play it safe in the third round, and would be happy to match par.

“I will shoot for the pars and it’s a bonus if birdies come along. I’m still trying to find the rhythm in my backswing,” said the former winner of the Philippine Open at Malarayat. He had five birdies and two bogeys yesterday.

Salvador, who hails from Davao, had birdies from as short as three feet on No. 9 and as long as 40 feet on the par-3 No. 14. His bogeys came on Nos. 4 and 12 when he missed the greens.

Mars Pucay, the best-place Filipino in the first round after a 69, was no good yesterday. He limped home with a 76 and was at 145, tied with Japan’s Yoshinobu Tsukada (73) and Daisuke Kataoka (75), Australia’s Jake Higginbottom (71), Filipino teenager Miguel Tabuena (72) and Kemmer.

The biggest casualty for the local side was Frankie Miñoza who missed the cut for the top 65 and ties. He never got going in the two days he was out on the course, firing a 77 and 78 for an 11-over 155 total and a tie for 102nd place.

Angelo Que, a multiple-winner in the Asian Tour, including the 2008 Philippine Open, had something going on at the start of his round. He was even most of the day and was just one-over for the day going into the last three holes.

But disaster hit him on Nos. 7 and 8 which he double-bogeyed. The eighth hole, described as one of the toughest holes in the Asia Tour, is a 191-yard par-3, with a green shaped like a turtle-back and bunkers on both sides.

Que found the bunker on the right on his tee-shot and went over the green on his second. He was on in three and two-putted for a double-bogey. Only five players birdied the hole yesterday. There were 68 pars, 51 bogeys and 23 double-bogeys or worse.