Koreans take charge in PGT Q-School

MANILA, Philippines - Koreans Seo Hyeong Dae stumbled at the finish and hobbled with a one-over 73, dropping into a share of the lead with compatriot Lee Seongki halfway through the PGT Qualifying School (foreign) at Eagle Ridge’s Aoki course in Cavite yesterday.

Seo seized control with a stirring four-under card in a three-hole stretch from No. 12, capped by an eagle-2 on the 14th but bogeyed the par-5 15th and dropped another stroke on the 17th to settle for a 73 and a 146.

Lee matched that 36-hole output with a 74 from two 37s at the tough par-72 course as they wrested a one-stroke lead over Japanese amateur Yuto Katsuragawa who rallied with a 71 for a 147 as overnight leader Toru Nakajima skied to a 77 after an opening 71 in the four-day tournament offering 20 slots for the foreign pros for this year’s ICTSI Philippine Golf Tour.

Nakajima dropped to fourth with a 148 while Kim Tae Woo of Korea and Japan’s Toru Morita pooled identical 149s after a 71 and 74, respectively.

Five players stood at 150 with Koreans Gyuha Park and Lee Hyun Woo carding identical 73s, Lyu Hyung Suk, also of Korea, and Yuta Sudo of Japan shooting similar 75s and Korean amateur Jung Hoe Yeop turning in a 76.

The top 20 players after four rounds from a starting field of 64 will gain cards for this year’s ICTSI PGT which fires off next month at Valley Golf with 20 other local qualifiers, led by low medalist Jobim Carlos, joining the top 40 pros from last year’s Order of Merit ranking in the upcoming circuit.