Que rallies to advance but Tabuena, Juvic fall

MANILA, Philippines — Angelo Que leaned on a strong backside start to shoot a two-under 68 and barely made it to the weekend play of the rich Hong Kong Open still paced by Englishman Aaron Rai at the Hong Kong Golf Club in Fanling yesterday.

Que, who scrambled for a one-over 71 card at the start of the $2 million event Thursday, birdied three of the last six holes at the back where he started and checked an impending frontside meltdown with a birdie on the eighth for a 35-33.

He pooled a 139 for joint 44th to make it to the final 36 holes of the event which Rai continued to dominate with a course record breaking solid nine-under 61.

Counting his lead-sharing 65 in the first round, Rai took the solo lead with a whopping 14-under 126, now four ahead of Korean Hyowon Park, who also sizzled with a 62 on a day of torrid scoring at the composite Eden and New Courses.

Rai, 23, took advantage of ideal playing conditions and ran off six birdies at the front then added three more at the back to shatter the previous course mark of 63.

Korean-American Micah Shin, the Asian Tour top rookie in 2017, also stayed in the hunt with a 67 although he dropped seven strokes behind the hot-shooting Rai with a 133.

Miguel Tabuena and Juvic Pagunsan, however, sputtered in the afternoon play and missed the cut at 141 with the former matching par 70 and ending up with a four-over 144 and the latter also carding a 70 for a 145.

Former Masters champion Sergio Garcia also shot a 67. The Spanish ace stood 11 strokes off Rai with a 137 while American Patrick Reed, the reigning Masters titlist, rallied with a 65 after a 75 to make it through the last two rounds at 140.