Tabuena, Que make cut in Panasonic

MANILA, Philippines - Miguel Tabuena fought back with a 69 while Angelo Que shot a 70 as they made it to the weekend play of the rich Panasonic Open Golf Championship with backside rallies at the Chiba Country Club in Chiba, Japan yesterday.

In danger of missing the cut with a two-over 73 start in the $1.2 million tournament, Tabuena even fell farther back the cut-off line with a double-bogey on the par-3 seventh. But the reigning Philippine Golf Tour Order of Merit winner birdied four of the first five holes at the back then saved par on the 17th to finish with a 37-32 and join the big group at 36th place with 142s.

They included Que, who also struggled with a one-over 72 in the opener and faced the specter of missing the cut anew with a double-bogey on No. 17. But the former three-time Asian Tour winner eagled the par-5 closing hole to fire a 70 and get into the last 36 holes.

But the Filipino duo, who split the first two legs of the local circuit, stood eight shots behind Japanese Kodai Ichihara, who scorched the par-71 layout with seven birdies to negate a second straight bogey on No. 7 for a 65 and a 134.

He grabbed a one-stroke lead over India’s Shiv Kapur, who pooled a 135 after a 67 while Azuma Yano, also of Japan, shot a 69 for solo third at 136.

But while Tabuena and Que advanced, Japan-based Juvic Pagunsan, who fumbled with a 76 Thursday, bowed out despite hitting three birdies in the last 11 holes as his 70-146 fell short of the cut-off score at 144.